Sirare-sourced maize grains, packed in sacks after drying under the sun, at the Railways Grounds in Nakuru City on July 8, 2026.

📋 Breaking It Down

The unusually high stocks of maize being held by traders in Kenya’s coastal counties are raising fears of speculative hoarding and higher food prices as farmers’ reserves dwindle, while forecast floods between October and December threaten to disrupt food supplies and movement.

The 2026 Long Rains Assessment Report by the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG) shows maize stocks held by traders in the coastal region were at 115 per cent of normal levels, compared with only 58 per cent held by farmers.

The wide disparity, according to the report, has raised concern over the availability of grain in local markets, with the assessment attributing part of the pressure on maize prices to speculative grain hoarding.

📌 What You Need to Know

The development comes as Kenya faces a projected maize shortfall of nearly 19 million 90-kilogramme bags following an uneven March-May rainfall season, with some areas recording crop losses despite receiving substantial rains.

The Kenya Food Security Steering Group projects the long-rains maize harvest at 27.1 million bags against annual domestic requirements of about 46 million bags, leaving a deficit of 18.9 million bags.

The projected shortfall comes as the Government moves to facilitate the importation of 25 million bags of maize to bridge a supply gap caused by drought in key maize-growing regions.

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Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe told the Nation last month that the importation would be undertaken by the private sector, with the Government opening the market to commercial traders.

“It is the private sector that will purchase the maize. The money does not come from the government exchequer,” CS Kagwe said.

📰 Source: Nation Africa