Leveraging genetically engineered groundnut varieties can boost food security amid climate variability globally and in East Africa. Improved groundnut varieties possess unique characteristics such as tolerance to drought and diseases that have caused groundnut production to plummet in East Africa. However, these varieties have had a low adoption rate, prompting this study’s proposition. Investigation of the variations to climate change adaptability of groundnut varieties and drivers of adoption among smallholder farmers in East Africa would inform scientists to engineer better varieties that suit farmers’ context-specific needs regarding climate change. This study explored how various groundnut varieties adopt to climate change and what traits drive farmers to adopt or not adopt a specific type. The author reviewed information from FAOSTAT, agricultural websites, university repositories, and peer-reviewed publications. Understanding the farmer-preferred traits in improved and conventional groundnut varieties and the accessibility of the seeds can improve adoption. Understanding these is critical for modifying the improved varieties to the farmers’ most essential needs and agroecological conditions.