Mwea farmers want rice importation stopped until state buys local stock

Through a gazette notice of the Cabinet Secretary for Treasury John Mbadi directed importation of duty free of Grade 1 milled White rice on or before 31st December 2025. Mbadi said the decree was after recommendations from his Agriculture counterpart Mutahi Kagwe. 

The farmers have raised an alarm over the move saying it will have a negative impact on their produce which is stored at Mwea Rice Growers Multi Purpose Cooperative society (MRGM) stores.

Mwea rice farmers led by John Munene and Pius Njogu from Thiba section have questioned the haste in importing rice in the country before buying rice from the farmers who had a bumper harvest last season.

“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.

Kirinyaga Senator James Kamau Murango accused the government of not addressing farmers’ problems before importing rice.

“Government said it will buy rice in Mwariko stores, over 50,000 bags. But farmers are still waiting for a May payout and they are still waiting for subsidized fertilizers for planting,” Murango said.  

Murango accused the government of abandoning farmers by not purchasing the rice in stock. 

The farmers said that their rice produce is still lying in MRGM stores due to lack of market. They argued that the previous regime of Uhuru Kenyatta used to buy rice from farmers before importing.

Murango has called on the government to suspend the directives and go back to the farmers and buy their produce.

“Two months ago I moved from one government office to another, tirelessly pleading with officials to buy the  50,000 bags of rice in MRGM  Mwariko stores. At the time there were clear assurances that the government  would intervene and purchase the local stocks but right now 15,000 bags of rice  are still lying untouched in the stores,” the Kirinyaga Senator said.