By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 31 July 2026 - The Kenyan government has mounted a robust defence of its rice import policy, arguing that imports remain indispensable to national food security despite mounting protests from farmers in the country's leading rice-growing region of Mwea.
In a statement submitted to the National Assembly, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the country's widening production deficit leaves the government with little choice but to continue importing rice to stabilise supplies and cushion consumers against rising prices.
The intervention comes as pressure grows from farmers who have complained of depressed prices, slow sales and an influx of imported rice at the peak of the local harvest.
The ministry, however, insists the numbers tell a stark story.
Kenya consumes about 1.8 million metric tonnes of rice annually. Domestic production remains far below that level. The country harvested about 303,384 metric tonnes of paddy during the 2024/2025 season, enough to satisfy only a fraction of national demand.
The government argues that the structural deficit, rather than policy failure, explains the continued reliance on imports.
The ministry also dismissed suggestions that imports undermine local producers, saying they instead prevent supply disruptions during the post-harvest period when freshly harvested paddy requires one to two months of drying before milling.
Officials further noted that imported rice largely serves a different market.
Most imports comprise lower-cost non-basmati varieties consumed by price-sensitive households. Locally grown Mwea Pishori and Basmati rice target premium consumers who value their distinctive aroma and quality.
That market distinction, the ministry argues, reduces direct competition between imported and locally produced rice.
Still, the government acknowledged growing concern over counterfeit branding, where imported rice is allegedly repackaged and sold as the premium Mwea Pishori variety.
The ministry said regulators have intensified surveillance across supermarkets and wholesale outlets to protect the integrity of Kenya's flagship rice brand.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority and the Agriculture and Food Authority are conducting joint inspections targeting fraudulent traders.
Businesses found falsely marketing imported rice as Mwea Pishori risk stiff penalties, including product seizures, fines, suspension of licences and prosecution.
Authorities are also strengthening certified producer cooperatives while expanding consumer awareness campaigns to help buyers distinguish genuine locally produced rice from counterfeit products.
The government's response extends beyond regulation.
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It has stepped into the market as a direct buyer to ease pressure on farmers struggling with unsold stocks.
Through the Kenya National Trading Corporation, the State has ordered more than 50,000 bags of locally milled rice.
By mid-July, it had already purchased over 30,320 bags valued at more than KSh 233 million from the Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Cooperative Society and farmer groups.
The National Cereals and Produce Board has separately procured more than 70,000 bags of locally produced paddy during the 2025/26 financial year.
The buying programme is intended to inject liquidity into the farming sector while preventing a collapse in farm-gate prices.
Yet the ministry was careful not to portray the intervention as a permanent remedy.
Officials warned that market purchases alone cannot erase the country's widening production gap.
The long-term challenge remains increasing domestic output through higher productivity, expanded irrigation and greater investment across the rice value chain.
Kenya's obligations under the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) also mean imports will continue to play a central role in balancing domestic supply with consumer demand.
The parliamentary statement follows a request by Mwea MP Mary Maingi, who sought an explanation over the plight of rice farmers facing sluggish sales and growing competition from imported grain.
The debate now exposes a difficult policy balancing act.
Protecting farmers requires stronger markets and better prices. Protecting consumers demands affordable food and uninterrupted supply.
For Nairobi, the immediate priority remains food security. For Mwea farmers, however, the bigger question is whether increased government purchases, tougher enforcement against counterfeit traders and higher investment in local production will eventually reduce Kenya's dependence on imported rice and allow domestic growers to compete on a more level playing field.