By Eddah Waithaka
Professor Fred Ogolla has launched a scathing attack on the Kenyan government’s decision to allow 500,000 metric tonnes of duty-free rice imports, warning the move will “annihilate” local farmers, enrich cartels, and push Kenya deeper into food insecurity.
Speaking at a press conference at the Kenya National Theatre, the agricultural economist accused the state of “deliberately sabotaging” domestic rice production while favoring politically connected importers.
“Tanzania Did It—Why Can’t Kenya?”
Ogolla slammed the July 28 Gazette Notice No. 10353 as a “betrayal” of Kenya’s food sovereignty, contrasting it with Tanzania’s ban on rice imports, a policy that spurred local production to 2.4 million metric tonnes in 2023.
“Kenya has the land, the water, and the farmers to produce 1.5 million metric tonnes annually. Instead, our leaders open the floodgates to cheap imports while taxing local farmers to death,” he declared.
Farmers Face Ruin as Harvests Rot
With harvesting ongoing in Mwea, Ahero, and Bura, farmers warned the duty-free window would crash prices and leave them bankrupt.
“Right now, 15,000 bags of rice sit unsold in Mwea stores. If imports flood in, we’ll have no market,” said Margaret Wanjiku, a Mwea Irrigation Scheme farmer. Millers and traders echoed her fears, predicting mass layoffs and business closures.
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“Duty-Free Scam” Fails Consumers
Ogolla dismissed government claims that imports would lower consumer prices, citing USDA data showing the 2024 duty-free quota neither met import targets nor reduced retail costs.
“This is not about food security, it’s about kickbacks. The same cartels that imported 937,098 tonnes last year (costing Sh54.7 billion) are now getting another payday,” he charged.
Five Demands to Rescue Kenya’s Rice Sector
Team EVOLVE, Ogolla’s advocacy group, has issued an ultimatum demanding the immediate scrapping of Gazette Notice No. 10353 and the restoration of a 35% rice import duty to protect local farmers.
The group calls for diverting funds to enhance irrigation, mills, and cooperatives as part of the National Rice Development Strategy, breaking Japan’s monopoly on rice sector investments.
They also urge the publication of a credible plan aimed at achieving self-sufficiency by 2030.
“Food Sovereignty is Non-Negotiable”
In a blistering finale, Ogolla framed the crisis as a fight for national survival,
“China, the U.S., and Japan would never outsource their food security. Why must Kenya? Every duty-free sack of rice destroys Kenyan jobs, drains our forex, and feeds corruption. We demand action NOW, not in 2027!”
As farmers’ groups plan nationwide protests, pressure mounts on Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi to justify the policy. With Kenya’s rice imports now exceeding 70% of consumption, critics warn the country is “auctioning its future bowl by bowl.”
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