The High Court in Kerugoya has ordered the government to clear locally produced rice held by farmers and in storage within 30 days before proceeding with duty-free imports.
Justice Edward Muriithi permitted the importation of 254,000 metric tonnes of duty-free rice, to be conducted in three phases of 85,000 metric tonnes each on March 1, April 1, and May 1, 2026.
He said the phased approach was intended to balance the protection of local farmers with the government’s food security obligations.
The ruling follows a July 2025 gazette notice that had authorised the importation of 500,000 metric tonnes of duty-free rice, a decision that was later suspended by the court.
Earlier, the court had capped rice imports at 250,000 metric tonnes as part of measures to safeguard domestic producers.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya produces only about 20 per cent of its rice requirements, resulting in an annual deficit of approximately 800,000 metric tonnes against demand exceeding 1 million metric tonnes.
