Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago has weighed in on the impasse between wheat farmers and millers by calling on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to provide clarity on wheat purchases.
Mandago, through a request presented in the Senate by Senator Raphael Chimera, is seeking detailed information on how wheat millers engage with local farmers amid concerns over the treatment of local wheat farmers.
On Tuesday, March 11, the Senator also asked the committee to list all licensed wheat millers and provide copies of agreements between the Cereal Growers Association (CGA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development as a way to enhance accountability.
Besides demanding transparency on the price per bag of wheat in 2024, Mandago also requested a report comparing the amount of wheat purchased from Kenyan farmers versus the quantity imported by each miller.
The Senate Committee, chaired by Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli, was also tasked with investigating whether millers received more wheat imports than they purchased from local farmers, who have recently lamented that their produce is rotting in storage.
In February, it was estimated that at least 10 million 90-kilogramme bags remained in storage since the harvesting season began in August 2024.
Mandago’s demands came just a week after the government announced plans to cushion wheat farmers by commencing the collection of 321,000 bags of wheat from farmers across the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture directed farmers to deliver their wheat to NCPB warehouses nationwide, effective March 4, 2025.
Amid growing criticism of millers, the Cereal Millers Association (CMA) on Thursday, March 6, strongly denied allegations that its members were the main reason behind wheat farmers’ struggles.
An infographic from CMA, obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, indicated that locally grown wheat only constituted an average of 6.05% of total consumption over the past seven years.
The association argued that this figure rose to 7% following a bumper harvest, suggesting that millers have been increasing local purchases.
Data produced by CMA also showed that between July 2024 and February 2025, millers had already bought 86% of the projected local wheat harvest, contradicting claims that they were ignoring Kenyan farmers.
