The Ministry of Agriculture has issued a 30-day ultimatum to traders hoarding maize, warning that it will open the door to duty-free imports if local stocks are not released to the market.
In a statement on Monday, January 26, the ministry said the government’s immediate focus is to prioritise locally produced maize for the Strategic Food Reserve.
This is even as it confronts challenges of hoarding, post-harvest losses, and supply chain inefficiencies across the grains sector.
"The Government has given maize hoarders 30 days to release their stocks to the market, warning that failure to do so will trigger duty-free maize imports to stabilise maize flour prices," the statement read.
The ministry explained the government’s plan to buy local maize for the Strategic Food Reserve and highlighted the gap between targeted and actual deliveries due to hoarding and speculation.
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"Mutahi Kagwe has said the Government’s priority is to buy locally produced maize to build the Strategic Food Reserve, with Ksh1.7 billion set aside to purchase 1.7 million bags at Ksh4,000 per bag. However, only 186,000 bags have been delivered so far, a shortfall attributed to hoarding and speculation," the statement added.
The ministry further outlined measures being taken to reduce post-harvest losses and aflatoxin contamination by expanding access to drying facilities for farmers and millers.
"To curb post-harvest losses and aflatoxin risks, the Government is redeploying maize dryers to high-production zones and allowing farmers to dry maize at National Cereals & Produce Board facilities at minimal cost, while millers will be permitted to lease dryers to reduce rejection of local maize," the statement continued.
At the same time, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe linked improved maize production to the fertiliser subsidy programme rolled out during the last planting season.
He also announced new steps to strengthen fertiliser distribution.
"The CS said maize output more than doubled following the distribution of 9.1 million bags of subsidised fertiliser during the 2025 season, adding that counties will now register agro-dealers to improve last-mile fertiliser access," the statement further read.
Turning to other staple grains, Kagwe reiterated the Government’s policy of prioritising local production before approving imports of rice and wheat.
"On rice and wheat, Kagwe reiterated that locally produced grain must be taken up before imports are allowed, noting that Kenya produces about 20% of its rice and 10% of its wheat needs, underscoring the need to expand domestic production," the statement noted.
Kagwe also announced broader structural reforms aimed at improving productivity and efficiency across the grain sector, including soil mapping and fixing bottlenecks at the National Cereals and Produce Board.
"The Government is also rolling out nationwide soil mapping to guide crop-specific fertiliser use and has directed NCPB to urgently fix system inefficiencies slowing grain intake," the statement concluded.
This comes two weeks after the Ministry of Agriculture has warned that Kenya is edging closer to a food crisis as worsening drought, widening rice shortages, and emerging price instability threaten household food security.
In a statement on Tuesday, January 6, Kagwe said rice has become a critical pressure point because of its growing role as a staple food in urban areas and arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) counties.
"Kenya is edging closer to a food crisis as drought disrupts production, rice supply gaps widen, and prices begin to wobble. With rice now a key staple in urban and ASAL households, falling domestic output and erratic rainfall are already fuelling volatility and threatening a broader food inflation wave that could hit maize and other essentials," the statement read.
Kagwe explained that Kenya’s reliance on imported rice remains high, with local production meeting only a fraction of national demand.
According to the ministry, the projected supply gap is expected to widen sharply in early 2026 as consumption peaks in the first half of the year.
"Kenya produces less than 20% of the rice it consumes. By early 2026, the deficit is projected to exceed 380,000MT, with demand between January and June alone estimated at 750,000MT," the statement added.
Kagwe further warned that existing domestic stocks are insufficient to absorb the deficit, placing vulnerable populations at heightened risk.
He noted that without timely interventions, food insecurity in ASAL regions could escalate significantly.
"Local stocks cannot fill this gap. Meanwhile, acute food insecurity in ASAL counties could surge from 1.8M to 3.5M people if interventions stall," the statement further read.
With the concern coming as the High Court weighs a challenge to the government's decision to allow limited, duty-free rice imports, Kagwe noted that the court’s decision will have far-reaching implications for food affordability.
"Against this backdrop, the High Court is considering a challenge to the Government’s move to allow time-bound, duty-free rice imports to stabilise supply and prices. The ruling, due on 29 January 2026, will carry real consequences for food prices, household budgets, and the constitutional right to food at a moment when delay risks turning climate stress into a full-blown hunger crisis," the statement concluded.
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