Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has announced plans to import 25 million 90-kilogram bags of maize to bridge a projected food deficit and protect Kenya from a possible shortage.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Kagwe said the government had already put arrangements in place for the imports, assuring Kenyans that measures were being taken to maintain adequate maize supplies.

“We will import maize. We have already made arrangements for that. We will manage the country. The country is not going to go hungry,” Kagwe said.

Kenya consumes approximately 75 million bags of maize annually, but reduced harvests in several food-producing regions are expected to create a shortfall of nearly 25 million bags.

📌 What You Need to Know

The programme will focus on increasing agricultural productivity, promoting value addition, and creating sustainable employment through agribusiness, while also advancing digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, and modern farming technologies.

The announcement comes about a week after Kagwe said the government would import one million 90-kilogram bags of maize to replenish strategic reserves following disruptions to the 2026 harvest.

At the time, the CS said the expected maize shortfall could reach 5.4 million 90-kilogram bags by the end of September, warning that reduced production could put pressure on food supplies and maize prices.

The 2026 crop was affected when rains arrived earlier than expected, followed by a prolonged dry spell during critical stages of crop development, disrupting production in major maize-growing areas.

Kagwe said the larger imports would provide an immediate response to the projected deficit, while the government pursues measures to strengthen local food production and reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture.

Among the long-term measures is the expansion of irrigation projects such as the Galana Kulalu scheme , which is expected to boost productivity and improve the country's resilience to drought.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke