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Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has given maize traders and farmers accused of hoarding grain one month to release their stocks into the market, cautioning that the government will permit duty-free maize imports if shortages persist.
Addressing a forum in Sagana on Monday, Kagwe said the State’s main focus is to purchase maize from local farmers to restock the Strategic Grain Reserve.
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However, continued hoarding and speculation could compel the government to import maize to ease pressure on maize flour prices.
“We are purchasing maize at Sh4,000 per bag and have allocated Sh1.7 billion to pay farmers,” Kagwe said, stressing that imports are not the government’s preferred option.
“Our priority is to buy from Kenyan farmers, but we must also ensure the country has adequate reserves to respond to emergencies,” he added.
The government aims to immediately buy 1.7 million bags of maize, with a longer-term target of building reserves of up to four million bags. So far, only about 186,000 bags have been delivered—a gap Kagwe attributed to hoarding amid early signs of drought in some regions.
He warned that if adequate quantities are not delivered to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) within 30 days, the government will open the market to duty-free imports, including supplies from outside the COMESA region, to protect consumers from rising flour prices.
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To minimise post-harvest losses and quality issues, Kagwe said the ministry is reviewing the deployment of more than 60 maize dryers nationwide. The dryers will be relocated to high-yield areas, cooperatives, self-help groups and large-scale farms, while those in low-production zones will be withdrawn.
“Aflatoxin is a public health concern,” Kagwe noted, adding that placing dryers in areas with little maize amounts to poor use of public funds.
Farmers will be allowed to dry maize at NCPB facilities at minimal maintenance costs, while millers will be permitted to lease dryers to reduce rejection of locally produced maize and cut reliance on imports from neighbouring countries.
Kagwe said the fertiliser subsidy programme is already bearing fruit, citing a doubling of maize output following the distribution of 9.1 million bags of fertiliser during the 2025 season, aided by favourable weather in key producing regions.
To address last-mile distribution challenges, county governments will now register agro-dealers so farmers can access subsidised fertiliser closer to home. The ministry is also working with the National Treasury, World Bank and commercial banks to roll out an instant payment system to ensure agro-dealers are paid immediately when vouchers are redeemed.
“This will lower transport costs and ensure fertiliser availability at the village level,” Kagwe said, urging farmers to collect inputs early, noting that supplies are already in place countrywide.
On rice, Kagwe dismissed claims of a national shortage, saying delays in collection in certain regions should not be mistaken for a supply crisis. Kenya currently produces about 20 percent of its rice needs, importing the rest.
He also said Kenya meets only about 10 percent of its wheat demand locally, but insisted that domestic wheat must be absorbed before any imports are allowed—a policy that will also apply to rice.
Kagwe added that the ministry, in collaboration with county governments, is conducting a nationwide soil-mapping exercise to guide the use of crop- and soil-specific fertilisers aimed at boosting yields and farmer incomes.
He further warned the NCPB to urgently fix system failures slowing grain intake, saying inefficiency and delays will not be tolerated.
“Food security is not optional,” Kagwe said. “It is a national responsibility.”
