Rice farmers from the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in Kirinyaga County have voiced strong opposition to the government’s plan to import 500,000 metric tonnes of duty-free rice by the end of the year, demanding that locally harvested stock be purchased first.
The move, announced in a gazette notice by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, allows for the importation of Grade 1 milled white rice duty-free until December 31, 2025. Mbadi stated the decision was based on recommendations from Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe.
However, farmers from the region, led by John Munene and Pius Njogu of the Thiba section, say the imports will flood the market and devalue local rice, much of which remains unsold and stored at the Mwea Rice Growers Multipurpose Cooperative Society (MRGM) stores.
“We are against the move because the influx of imported rice is negatively impacting the market for locally produced rice in our scheme,” Munene said.
The farmers’ concerns have been echoed by Kirinyaga Senator James Kamau Murango, who accused the government of neglecting its promises to purchase over 50,000 bags of rice stored in the MRGM’s Mwariko stores. He noted that farmers are still awaiting May payments and have not received subsidized fertilizers for the next planting season.
“Two months ago I went from one government office to another pleading for intervention. We were assured the government would buy the rice, yet 15,000 bags still lie untouched in Mwariko stores,” Murango said.
He further criticized the government for deviating from the practices of the previous administration, which prioritized buying local rice before considering imports.
Murango and the farmers are now calling for an immediate suspension of the import directive, urging the government to act swiftly and support local producers by clearing the existing stock before turning to foreign suppliers.
Written By Rodney Mbua
