The Ministry of Agriculture has dismissed a letter circulating on social media falsely claiming to authorise the export of raw macadamia nuts.
Through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), the ministry said the letter is forged and fraudulently includes the name and signature of Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe, as having authorised the export of the in-shell macadamia nuts.
In a statement on Sunday, May 25, the AFA claimed that the forged letter, dated May 21, 2025, is neither from the authority nor from the CS.
The Authority has noted that the ban on the export of raw (in-shell) macadamia nuts remains in force, and no party has been exempted.
"AFA affirms that the letter in question is a forgery and was not issued through any legitimate channel," the authority said.
"In accordance with Section 43 of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Act, 2013, the ban on the export of raw (in-shell) macadamia nuts remains in force. Furthermore, no exemptions have been granted as of the date of this release," it added.
AFA said it has notified the Inspector General of police, Douglas Kanja, of the letter and asked him to facilitate investigations and ensure that action is taken against those generating the fake letters.
On the other hand, the sector's stakeholders have been urged to remain vigilant and refrain from facilitating the export of the raw (in shell) macadamia. Stakeholders have further been urged to report any suspicious activities in the sector to the AFA or law enforcement agencies.
"The Authority has reported the matter to the Inspector General of Police for investigation and prosecution of all parties involved in drafting, circulating, or attempting to use the fraudulent document," the statement read.
The raw, in-shell macadamia nut export ban was implemented to boost local manufacturing sectors and protect farmers from exploitation. The move also aimed at encouraging Kenyans to process macadamia nuts locally rather than exporting them in their raw state.
Earlier this year, on Saturday, April 12, the Agriculture CS affirmed that Kenya will not lift the ban on the export of raw macadamia to other countries, affirming that the move is pivotal to ensure the value addition of macadamia nuts before they are exported to foreign countries.
''We maintain that we do not want to export raw macadamia to China. So, even if they put tariffs or no tariffs, that does not matter to us. We want to do the processing in Kenya," Kagwe said.
''I want to thank the farmers because it is because of their interventions and that of the government that we are now buying macadamia oil for cooking purposes. It is one of the best oils,'' he added.
Kenya is among the top global producers of macadamia nuts, ranking third after South Africa and Australia.
