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Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced that, for the first time in 16 years, Kenya will not be importing maize this year.
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He also confirmed that, after nearly 22 years, the country will not be importing sugar either.
He attributed this achievement to government efforts, which have led to sufficient domestic production of both maize and sugar to meet the country’s consumption needs.
When the Kenya Kwanza administration took office, the country was importing around 10 million bags of maize, but this has now ended. “This year, for the first time in 16 years, we won’t import any maize. In 2022, we allowed permits for 10 million bags, and last year, it dropped to about seven million bags. This year, we’re importing zero. The use of subsidized fertilizer and other measures have strengthened the maize production chain,” said Kindiki.
Regarding sugar, he highlighted that Kenya will not import any this year. While Kenya’s annual sugar consumption is around one million metric tonnes, local production has surpassed 900,000 metric tonnes. “For the first time in 22 years, Kenya is sugar-sufficient,” he added.
Kindiki made these statements during a consultative meeting with leaders, professionals, and stakeholders from Meru County, discussing development projects and the implementation of government programs.
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The Deputy President also emphasized the government’s commitment to lowering the prices of essential commodities, ensuring macro-economic stability by focusing on food, fuel, interest rates, inflation, and exchange rates.
