Kenya turns to India for rice imports as farmers decry unsold harvests

their livelihoods. In a gazette notice dated July 28, 2025, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi authorised the duty-free importation of 500,000 metric tonnes of Grade 1 milled white rice by December 31, 2025. The move, recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture, is intended to ease prices and guarantee food security in a country where demand is projected to reach 1.5 million tonnes this year. Rice, alongside wheat, is Kenya’s second most important staple food after maize. Kenya currently produces only around 260,000 tonnes annually – about 20 per cent of its needs – with the balance imported, mainly from India and Pakistan. Consumption is rising rapidly, with per capita intake expected to hit 29 kilogrammes in 2025. With a population of 55 million, the government estimates the monthly requirement at 125,000 tonnes. Despite the deficit, rice farmers in Kenya’s main growing regions have reacted angrily. They argue that the government’s estimate of shortages is inflated ...