Kenya is set to import 25 million 90kg bags of maize to bridge an expected shortage after drought and other climate-related challenges disrupted production in some of the country’s major maize-growing regions, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has said.
Kagwe said the government had already put arrangements in place to secure the imports, assuring Kenyans that the expected deficit would not lead to a food crisis.
“We will import maize. We have already made arrangements for that. We will manage the country. The country is not going to go hungry,” he said.
Kenya consumes about 75 million bags of maize every year, but lower production in several food-producing areas is expected to leave the country with a deficit of nearly 25 million bags.
The government plans to use the imports as an immediate measure to fill the gap, maintain adequate maize supplies and protect consumers from possible changes in prices.
Kagwe said the shortage was linked to the effects of drought and other climate-related disruptions that have affected agricultural production.
While the government is turning to imports to address the immediate gap, it is also pursuing measures aimed at increasing local food production and reducing the country’s dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
One of the measures is the expansion of irrigation projects, including the Galana Kulalu scheme, which is expected to improve agricultural production and strengthen the country’s ability to withstand drought.
The government also plans to work with the National Treasury to streamline taxes and tackle bureaucratic challenges facing farmers and agribusinesses.
The measures were discussed during the Fifth Joint Consultative Meeting of County Executive Committee Members, where the Ministry of Agriculture launched consultations for the AgriConnect Compact Programme.
Kagwe said the programme could create thousands of jobs as the government works to transform agriculture into a modern, technology-driven and commercially viable sector.
The programme will focus on three main areas: increasing agricultural productivity, promoting value addition and creating sustainable employment opportunities through agribusiness.
Kagwe said agriculture should no longer be treated as a last option for survival but as a sector capable of creating wealth, attracting investment and generating jobs, especially for young people.
The programme will also support the use of digital technology, artificial intelligence and modern farming methods to improve productivity and attract more young people to agriculture.
The Food Systems Resilience Program and the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project will transition into the AgriConnect Compact Programme.
The consultations will be used to develop a roadmap for implementing the programme and guide future agricultural policies as the government seeks to strengthen food security and make the sector more resilient to climate change.