• Rice, now a key staple in both urban and Arid and Semi‑Arid Lands (ASAL) households, sits at the heart of this unfolding crisis.

Kenya is edging closer to a food crisis as drought disrupts production, rice supply gaps widen, and prices wobble.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development warns that erratic rainfall and falling domestic output are already fuelling volatility, threatening a broader wave of food inflation that could hit maize and other essentials.

Rice, now a key staple in both urban and Arid and Semi‑Arid Lands (ASAL) households, sits at the heart of this unfolding crisis.

“Kenya produces less than 20% of the rice it consumes. By early 2026, the deficit is projected to exceed 380,000MT, with demand between January and June alone estimated at 750,000MT,” says the Ministry.

Meanwhile, acute food insecurity in ASAL counties could surge from 1.8 million to 3.5 million people if interventions stall.

Read More

  1. From Near Extinction to Renewal: Kenya’s Rhino Story
  2. 9 Ordinary Things That Secretly Contain Plastic
  3. Amboseli's Craig Passing Highlights Why Super Tuskers Matter

“Against this backdrop, the High Court is considering a challenge to the Government’s move to allow time-bound, duty-free rice imports to stabilise supply and prices,” the Ministry has added.

The ruling, due on January 29, 2026, will carry real consequences for household budgets, food prices, and the constitutional right to food. Delay risks turning climate stress into a full‑blown hunger crisis.

Kenya’s vulnerability is not new. The country has a long history of droughts that slashed food yields and deepened insecurity.

The 1984 drought stands out as one of the worst, wiping out crops and livestock. The 1999–2000 drought forced more than four million Kenyans to rely on food aid.

 Between 2008 and 2011, prolonged dry spells left millions food insecure, while the 2020–2022 drought declared a national disaster ravaged 23 counties, cutting maize, beans, and sorghum yields and decimating pastoralist herds.

Today, Kenya faces yet another test. The convergence of climate stress, widening rice deficits, and fragile household budgets underscores the urgency of decisive action.

Follow us on TikTok for real-time updates, community voices, and stories that matter.