By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, 9 April 2026 - Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has encouraged state agencies to cut food imports, as the ministry reinforces efforts to boost local food production.
The agriculture boss warned that continued reliance on food imports continues to compromise the country’s economic stability, particularly by denying local food producers jobs and opportunities.
The CS issued the warning in Malindi during the signing of the 2025/26 financial year performance contracts, which brought together senior officials from the ministry and other state agencies.
“This country spends billions of shillings importing food that we have the capacity to produce locally. We cannot afford to continue exporting jobs and opportunities through imports,” CS Kagwe said.
Kenya continues to spend billions of shillings annually on food imports, highlighting a gap between domestic production and national demand, with data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics estimating that the country spends approximately Ksh500billion annually on food imports.
Key food imports include rice, wheat, edible oils, and sugar, which the country either does not produce in sufficient quantities or cannot meet current demands due to factors such as climate change.
The government will leverage data recorded by the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System (KIAMIS) to ensure that the over 7.2 million farmers registered under the system receive adequate subsidized inputs, such as fertilizer and seeds, to boost production.
The CS has further noted that it is high time for the youth to also take advantage of untapped opportunities in the agricultural sector, which holds potential in key areas such as technology, logistics, and value addition.
The CS has also encouraged heads of agricultural institutions and agencies to enhance their internal revenue generation as well as financial management to address persistent challenges, including governance issues, wage pressures, and pending bills.
Kagwe has cautioned that the government will not tolerate inefficiencies within government agencies and that they will be held accountable for their performance.
“We must go beyond processes and ask ourselves what real impact we are having on the social and economic well-being of Kenyans. There is no room for inefficiency. Every shilling must translate into impact,” Kagwe said.
“Our institutions are the engines through which this transformation will be realized. Each agency must understand its mandate and deliver with precision,” he added.
More from Kenya