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 the government will allow duty-free maize imports if supplies are not made available to stabilise maize flour prices.
The CS said the government’s first option remains buying maize from local farmers to build the National Strategic Food Reserves but cautioned that imports would 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,” Kagwe said.
The government is targeting the immediate purchase of 1.7 million bags of maize, 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 Kagwe attributed to hoarding and speculative behaviour as drought conditions begin to emerge in parts of the country.
To curb post-harvest losses and address quality concerns, Kagwe said the government is rationalising the deployment of more than 60 mobile and immobile maize dryers countrywide.
He said dryers would be urgently redeployed to cooperatives, large-scale farmers, self-help groups and high-production zones, while those in low-yield areas would be withdrawn.
“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.
Under the new arrangements, farmers will be allowed to dry maize at National Cereals and Produce Board (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 neighbouring countries.
Kagwe said the fertiliser subsidy programme has already yielded results, noting that maize production doubled after the distribution of 9.1 million bags of assorted fertilisers during the 2025 season, supported by favourable weather across the North and South Rift, Eastern and Central regions.
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe in cap at a maize storage facility/HANDOUTAgriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe in cap at a maize storage facility/HANDOUT
To address last-mile delivery challenges, the CS announced that county governments will now register agro-dealers to enable farmers to access subsidised fertiliser closer to their farms.
The ministry is also working with the National Treasury, the World Bank and commercial banks to roll out an instant payment system for agro-dealers.
“This will resolve last-mile distribution challenges, reduce transport costs for farmers, and ensure fertiliser availability at the village level,” he said, urging farmers to collect inputs early, noting that adequate stocks have already been positioned in depots nationwide.
On rice, Kagwe said NCPB has the capacity to take in and mill more produce, 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 produces about 20 per cent of its rice needs and imports the remaining 80 per cent, underscoring the need to expand domestic production.
On wheat, Kagwe said the country produces only about 10 per cent of its requirements, adding that the government has prioritised uptake of locally produced wheat before allowing imports.
“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.
The CS said rice imports will not be allowed before locally produced stocks are fully absorbed, stressing that the policy is critical to encouraging expansion of rice and wheat farming and reducing long-term dependence on imports.
Kagwe also revealed that the ministry, in collaboration with county governments, is conducting nationwide soil mapping exercise to guide the use of crop- and soil-specific fertilisers and directed NCPB to urgently address system inefficiencies slowing grain intake.
“We must have enough food in our stores. Food security is not optional, it is a national duty,” he said.
