Kenya is facing a looming food crisis as prolonged droughts continue to disrupt agricultural production, rice supply gaps widen, and prices begin to rise.
Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Mutahi Kagwe on Tuesday warned that the country is at a critical crossroads, with domestic output failing to meet the growing demand for essential staples.
Rice, a key staple for both urban and arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) households, has seen production fall sharply due to erratic rainfall.
This decline is already fueling price volatility, which could ripple across other food commodities, including maize, further exacerbating inflation in household food budgets, according to the CS.
“Kenya produces less than 20 per cent of the rice it consumes, and the shortfall is projected to exceed 380,000 metric tonnes by early 2026. If we do not act swiftly, more families will face food insecurity,” Kagwe said.
Between January and June 2026 alone, demand for rice is estimated at 750,000 metric tonnes, a gap local stocks cannot fill. Analysts warn that without timely interventions, this deficit could lead to further price hikes and increased pressure on vulnerable communities.
Acute food insecurity in ASAL counties is also expected to rise sharply, with the number of people affected projected to jump from 1.8 million to 3.5 million if relief and support measures stall.
The High Court is currently considering a petition challenging the government’s decision to allow time-bound, duty-free rice imports, a move aimed at stabilising both supply and prices.
The ruling, scheduled for 29 January 2026, is expected to have significant implications for food availability and affordability across the country.
“Delay risks turning climate stress into a full-blown hunger crisis. We must act now to safeguard the right to food and ensure no Kenyan goes hungry this year,” Kagwe emphasised while calling for the urgency of coordinated action.
Meanwhile, the High Court has ruled that a constitutional petition challenging the government’s duty-free rice import programme must proceed, emphasising that the case raises important issues for farmers, consumers, and national policy.
The ruling, delivered in Kerugoya, allowed Kirinyaga Senator Kamau Murango and Baragwi Ward Representative David Mathenge to take over the petition after the Farmers Party, which initially filed the case, sought to withdraw.
The court stressed that constitutional cases involving public and economic interests cannot be abandoned at will.
