This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
Kenya is bracing for a severe food crisis as its state-backed emergency maize reserve is set to run empty. The Strategic Food Reserve (SFR) will release two million bags of maize to millers from this week, further exacerbating the ongoing food shortages and water scarcity.
The chairman of the SFR, Noah Wekesa, has stated that the reserve will be emptied in a bid to lower the price of flour, which has risen to Sh120 per 2kg packet from Sh80. The SFR plans to sell the maize at Sh2,300 per 90-kilogramme bag, compared to the market price of Sh3,600.
However, farmers fear that releasing maize to the market following forecast of failed rains this year will worsen the ongoing food shortages and water scarcity. The country had a bumper harvest last year, with maize production hitting 40.9 million bags, a 20 percent rise from the previous year.
The government has cited hoarding of maize as the reason for the price jump, arguing that the country has enough grains. However, the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) released 3 million bags to millers in June to address the high cost of flour.
Earlier in the year, MPs had raised alarm over the country's susceptibility to a food crisis after the government failed to allocate funds to the Strategic Food Reserve.
