Kenya’s food production is expected to decline this year following significant crop failure in key grain-growing regions, largely attributed to drought and the effects of climate change, the government has announced.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said poor crop performance, particularly in the Rift Valley, is likely to result in reduced harvests, forcing the country to increase food imports to bridge the anticipated supply gap and stabilize consumption.
Koskei spoke on the sidelines of a meeting of Principal Secretaries held at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), where he noted that prolonged dry conditions and inadequate rainfall had severely affected crops earmarked for the main harvest.
“We faced a challenge this year in agriculture due to crop failure caused by drought, which is largely driven by climate change,” he said.
Despite the projected decline, Koskei assured Kenyans that the government has put in place measures to safeguard national food security and cushion both farmers and consumers.
“I want to assure Kenyans that the government is on top of the situation. We have taken steps to support farmers and ensure continued access to adequate food,” he said.
He added that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is implementing strategies aimed at building resilience and enhancing preparedness against climate-related shocks affecting agriculture.
The Ministry of Agriculture recently deployed technical officers to maize-growing counties affected by the dry spell to assess crop performance and project this year’s production. The assessment has since been completed, with validation of data ongoing ahead of the official release of the production outlook.
According to the Ministry, Kenya harvested 88 million 50-kilogramme bags of maize in 2025, following favourable rainfall and sustained distribution of subsidised fertiliser.
However, the current season has been marked by below-average rainfall across several regions, disrupting planting and crop growth and resulting in poor yields for many farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture.
Experts project that Kenya’s 2026 crop harvest could decline by between 30 and 40 per cent compared to last year, raising concerns over food availability and prices.
Kenya remains a food-deficit country and regularly imports maize and other staple commodities from neighbouring countries and the wider COMESA region to supplement domestic production.
Koskei emphasized the importance of strengthening agricultural research as a long-term solution to climate-induced production challenges, noting that the government will continue collaborating with KALRO to develop and scale up climate-smart technologies and innovations.
“These innovations are critical in enhancing farmers’ resilience and boosting agricultural productivity in the face of changing weather patterns,” he said.
Earlier, President William Ruto pledged to lower the cost of farm inputs, including fertiliser and seeds, to support farmers affected by the poor rains and encourage them to prepare for the upcoming short rains expected between September and October.
He assured farmers of government support to make key inputs more affordable and improve production in the next planting season.
Meanwhile, state agencies, including the Agriculture and Food Authority, are conducting assessments to guide stabilisation measures, market interventions and targeted support for affected farmers.
By Wangari Ndirangu
