By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, August 19, 2026 - The government has announced plans to import 25 million 90-kg bags of maize to prepare for an anticipated food deficit and protect the country from a possible shortage caused by drought and other climate-related challenges.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said reduced harvests in several food-producing regions are expected to create a shortfall of nearly 25 million bags, prompting the government to intervene.
Kagwe has, however, assured that the government is also keen to implement other long-term actions to reinforce food security in the country, including the expansion of irrigation projects such as the Galana Kulalu scheme, which is expected to reduce the country’s reliance on rain- fed farming.
"We will import maize. We have already made arrangements for that. We will manage the country. The country is not going to go hungry," CS Kagwe said.
“While maize imports will provide an immediate solution to the projected shortage, the Government is simultaneously implementing long-term interventions aimed at strengthening local food production and reducing the country's vulnerability to climate change,” he added.
Kagwe has further noted that the ministry will collaborate with the National Treasury to streamline taxes and address bureaucratic challenges affecting farmers and agribusinesses so as to elevate the agricultural sector to be more profitable and competitive.
Kagwe revealed the development on Wednesday during the Fifth Joint Consultative Meeting of County Executive Committee Members (CECMs), where the Ministry officially launched consultations for the upcoming AgriConnect Compact Programme.
The CS said that the programme specifically aims to create employment for the youths through the sector, which the government is transforming to a modern, technology-driven and commercially viable sector.
The programme will push for the digitization of agriculture, the adoption of artificial intelligence and the integration of modern farming technologies to improve productivity, according to the CS.
“The programme will be anchored on three key pillars: increasing agricultural productivity, promoting value addition and creating sustainable employment opportunities through agribusiness,” the CS stated.
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