The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mutahi Kagwe, has issued a one-month ultimatum to maize hoarders to release their stocks into the market, warning that failure to do so will force the Government to allow duty-free maize imports to stabilise the cost of maize flour.

Addressing the farmers on Monday, January 26, 2026, at Sagana National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), Kagwe said the Government’s priority remains buying maize from local farmers to replenish the National Strategic Food Reserves, but cautioned that imports will be unavoidable if adequate stocks are not supplied within 30 days.

“We are buying maize at Ksh4,000 per bag, and we have Ksh 1.7 billion ready for payment. If anyone tells you to wait, call me. As a country, we must stock our strategic reserves and be prepared for emergencies. Our first option is not imports—it is buying from our farmers,” he said.

According to the Agriculture CS, the government is targeting the immediate purchase of at least one million and seven hundred thousand bags of maize, with a long-term goal of stocking four million bags in the Strategic Grain Reserve. However, only 186,000 bags have been delivered so far, a shortfall the CS attributed to hoarding and speculative practices as drought conditions begin to emerge in parts of the country.

To curb post-harvest losses and improve grain quality, CS Kagwe said the Ministry is rationalising the deployment of over 60 mobile and fixed maize dryers across the country.

Maintenance cost relief to farmers

Dryers will be urgently redeployed to cooperatives, large-scale farmers, self-help groups, and high-production zones, while those placed in low-yield areas will be withdrawn and reassigned.

“When we talk about aflatoxin, we are talking about a public health issue. Some dryers were taken to areas with insufficient maize, which is a misuse of national resources,” he said.

Kagwe further added that 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 discourage reliance on imports from neighbouring countries.

CS Kagwe also noted that the fertiliser subsidy program has already yielded positive results, saying maize production doubled following the distribution of 9.1 million bags of assorted fertilisers during the 2025 season, supported by favourable weather across the North and South Rift, Eastern, and Central regions.

To resolve last-mile delivery challenges, the CS announced that county governments will now register agro-dealers, enabling farmers to access subsidised fertiliser closer to their farms.

The Ministry is working with the National Treasury, the World Bank, and commercial banks to roll out an instant payment system that will ensure agro-dealers are paid immediately upon voucher redemption.

“This will reduce transport costs for farmers, resolve distribution bottlenecks, and guarantee fertiliser availability at the village level,” he said.

Farmers were urged to collect fertiliser early, with the CS assuring that sufficient stocks have already been positioned at depots nationwide.

On rice, CS Kagwe dismissed claims of a national supply crisis, stating that NCPB has the capacity to receive and mill more rice.

“There is confusion between a logistical issue of collecting rice in Mwea and a national rice shortage. Even 5,000 uncollected bags in Mwea cannot supply the entire country,” he said.

He noted that Kenya currently produces only about 20 per cent of its rice needs, importing the remaining 80 per cent, and called for increased investment in domestic rice production.

On wheat, the CS said Kenya produces only about 10 per cent of its requirements, adding that the Government has put in place a policy ensuring local wheat is purchased before imports are allowed, a principle that will also apply to rice.

CS Kagwe further revealed that the Ministry, in collaboration with county governments, is undertaking a nationwide soil-mapping exercise to guide the use of crop and soil-specific fertilisers aimed at boosting yields and farmer incomes.

He also directed the National Cereals and Produce Board to urgently address system inefficiencies slowing grain intake, warning that delays and technical failures will not be tolerated.

Reaffirming the Government’s commitment to import substitution, CS Kagwe said food security depends on discipline in production, storage, drying, and timely marketing.

“We must have enough food in our stores. Food security is not optional; it is a national duty,” he said.