The government is set to import 25 million 90-kilogramme bags of maize to bridge an anticipated food deficit and avert a possible shortage caused by drought and other climate-related challenges that have affected production in major maize-growing regions.
`Agriculture and Livestock Production Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the government had already put arrangements in place to facilitate the imports, assuring Kenyans that adequate measures were being implemented to guarantee food security despite the current challenges.
Kagwe said Kenya consumes approximately 75 million bags of maize annually, but reduced harvests in several food-producing regions were expected to create a shortfall of nearly 25 million bags, prompting government intervention through strategic imports to stabilise supplies and protect consumers from potential price fluctuations.
“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.
He noted that while maize imports would provide an immediate solution to the projected shortage, the government was simultaneously implementing long-term interventions to strengthen local food production and reduce the country’s vulnerability to climate change.
Among the interventions, he said, was expansion of irrigation projects such as the Galana Kulalu scheme, which is expected to boost agricultural productivity, increase resilience to drought and reduce dependence on rain-fed farming.
Kagwe added that the Government would work with the National Treasury to streamline taxes and address bureaucratic challenges affecting farmers and agribusinesses, with the aim of making the agricultural sector more competitive and profitable.
Meanwhile, youth employment emerged as a key priority during the Fifth Joint Consultative Meeting of County Executive Committee Members (CECMs), where the Ministry officially launched consultations for the upcoming AgriConnect Compact Programme.
Kagwe said the programme had potential to create thousands of jobs as the Government seeks to transform agriculture from a subsistence activity into a modern, technology-driven and commercially viable sector.
The meeting brought together national and county government leaders and representatives of the World Bank Group to review progress achieved under the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) and the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), both of which will transition into the AgriConnect Compact Programme.
Kagwe said AgriConnect would be anchored on three key pillars: increasing agricultural productivity, promoting value addition and creating sustainable employment opportunities through agribusiness.
“Agriculture should no longer be viewed as a last resort for survival, but rather as an engine for wealth creation, investment and job generation, particularly for young people,” he said.
He added that the programme would promote digitisation of agriculture, adoption of artificial intelligence and integration of modern farming technologies to improve productivity and make the sector more attractive to the next generation.
The consultative meeting also provided stakeholders with an opportunity to share views and contribute to developing a roadmap that will guide implementation of the programme and shape future agricultural policies.
Kagwe was accompanied by Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr Kipronoh Ronoh Paul and Governors Kenneth Makelo Lusaka of Bungoma, Benjamin Cheboi of Baringo, Andrew Mwadime of Taita Taveta, Simon Kachapin of West Pokot, Ali Mohamed of Marsabit, Nathif J. Adam of Garissa and Ochillo Ayacko of Migori.
World Bank Group representative Ghada Elabed also attended the meeting.
By Michael Omondi
