Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe says Kenya will import 25 million 90-kilogram bags of maize to bridge a projected deficit, assuring Kenyans the country will not go hungry.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has announced plans to import 25 million 90-kilogram bags of maize, moving to bridge a projected food deficit and shield the country from a possible shortage.
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," he 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. 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 shortfall could reach 5.4 million 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, including the North Rift.
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 under consideration 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. Kagwe also mentioned plans to work with the National Treasury to address taxes and bureaucratic challenges affecting farmers and agribusinesses, with the aim of making agriculture more competitive and profitable.
At the same time, the Ministry has launched consultations for the AgriConnect Compact Programme, expected to create employment opportunities for young Kenyans while transforming agriculture into a modern, technology-driven sector.
The announcement was made during a joint consultative meeting between the national and county governments and the World Bank, held to review progress on the National Value-Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) and the Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP).