Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has issued a one-month ultimatum to maize hoarders to release their stocks to the market, warning that failure to do so will compel the government to allow duty-free maize imports to stabilize maize flour prices.
Kagwe said the government’s first option remains purchasing maize from local farmers to build the National Strategic Food Reserves, but warned that imports will be unavoidable if sufficient stocks are not delivered within 30 days.
“We are buying maize at Ksh 4,000 per bag, and we have money Ksh 1.7 billion to pay. If anyone tells you to wait call me. As a country, we must stock our strategic reserves and be ready for emergencies. Our first option is not to import, it is to buy from our farmers,” he said.
The government is targeting an immediate uptake of 1.7 million bags, with a long-term goal of 4 million bags in the Strategic Grain Reserve. However, only 186,000 bags have been delivered so far, a shortfall the CS attributed to hoarding and speculative behavior as drought conditions begin to emerge in parts of the country.
To reduce post-harvest losses and address quality concerns, Kagwe said the government is rationalizing the deployment of more than 60 mobile and immobile maize dryers countrywide.
Dryers will be urgently redeployed to cooperatives, large-scale farmers, self-help groups, and high-production zones, while those placed in low-yield areas will be withdrawn and reassigned.
“When we talk about aflatoxin, we are talking about a public health issue. Some dryers were taken to areas with no sufficient maize, that is a misuse of national resources,” he said.
Farmers will be allowed to dry maize at NCPB facilities at minimal maintenance cost, while millers will be permitted to lease dryers to reduce rejection of locally produced maize and discourage reliance on imports from neighboring countries.
CS Kagwe said the fertilizer subsidy program has already yielded results, noting that maize production doubled following the distribution of 9.1 million bags of assorted fertilizers during the 2025 season, supported by favorable weather conditions across the North and South Rift, Eastern, and Central regions.
To permanently address last-mile delivery challenges, the CS announced that county governments will now register agro-dealers, allowing farmers to access subsidized fertilizer closer to their farms.
The Ministry is working with the National Treasury, the World Bank, and commercial banks to implement an instant payment system that will ensure agro-dealers are paid immediately upon voucher redemption.
“This will resolve last-mile distribution challenges, reduce transport costs for farmers, and ensure fertilizer availability at the village level,” he said.
Farmers were urged to collect fertilizer early, with the CS noting that adequate stocks have already been positioned in depots nationwide.
Kagwe emphasized that NCPB has the capacity to take in and mill more rice, dismissing claims that logistical challenges in specific regions amount to a national supply crisis.
“There is confusion between a logistical issue of picking rice in Mwea and a national rice supply issue. Even if there are 5,000 bags yet to be collected in Mwea, that volume cannot supply the entire country,” he said.
He noted that Kenya currently produces only about 20 percent of its rice needs, importing the remaining 80 percent, underscoring the urgency of expanding domestic production.
“We are encouraging investors, cooperatives, and farmers to invest more in rice production. NCPB is more than capable of handling increased volumes and milling more rice locally,” he said.
On wheat, the Kagwe revealed that Kenya produces only about 10 percent of its wheat requirements, adding that the Government has already established a clear policy framework to support local farmers.
“We resolved the wheat challenge by ensuring that local wheat is taken up first before any importation is allowed. The same principle will apply to rice,” he said.
Kagwe further stressed that rice imports will not be allowed before locally produced rice is fully taken up, saying the policy is critical to encouraging expansion of rice and wheat farming and reducing long-term dependence on imports.
The CS also revealed that the Ministry, in collaboration with county governments, is undertaking a nationwide soil mapping exercise to guide the use of crop- and soil-specific fertilizers, aimed at increasing productivity per acre and maximizing farmer returns.
He further directed the National Cereals and Produce Board to urgently address system inefficiencies slowing grain intake, warning that delays and technical failures will not be tolerated.
CS Kagwe reiterated the Government’s commitment to import substitution, emphasizing that food security requires discipline in production, storage, drying, and timely marketing.
“We must have enough food in our stores. Food security is not optional, it is a national duty,” he concluded.
