NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 6 – The Ministry of Agriculture has warned of a potential food crisis ahead of a court ruling on the importation of duty-free rice, citing supply shortages, climate pressures and rising food prices.
In a statement, the Ministry said the ruling, expected on January 29, 2026, could disrupt the rice market at a time when domestic production is falling and demand is rising.
“The ruling will carry real consequences for food prices, household budgets and the constitutional right to food,” the Ministry said, warning that further delays could worsen food insecurity amid climate-related stress.
Kenya produces less than 20 per cent of the rice it consumes. By early 2026, the national deficit is projected to exceed 380,000 metric tonnes, with demand between January and June estimated at about 750,000 tonnes.
The Ministry said rice has become a key staple, particularly in urban areas and arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), and warned that supply constraints and erratic rainfall are already fuelling price volatility that could spill over into other staples such as maize.
The warning comes after the High Court in Kerugoya declined to allow the withdrawal of a case challenging the government’s duty-free rice import programme, ruling that the dispute raises broader public interest questions.
The court held that the petition touches on national food policy, farmer livelihoods and consumer welfare, and should therefore be heard on its merits despite the original petitioners stepping aside.
Following the decision, Kirinyaga Senator Kamau Murango and Baragwi Ward Representative David Mathenge were permitted to step in as petitioners after the Farmers Party, which filed the case in August 2025, sought to abandon it in December.
The case contests a Gazette Notice issued on July 28, 2025, which authorised the duty-free importation of up to 500,000 tonnes of grade-one rice. The initial petition alleged that the National Treasury and the Ministry of Agriculture bypassed public participation requirements and exceeded their mandate under the East African Community Customs Management Act.
Murango and Mathenge argued that allowing the withdrawal would have automatically lifted interim court orders limiting imports to 250,000 tonnes, potentially reopening the market to larger volumes before the legal questions are resolved.
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