Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Mutahi Kagwe, has issued a stark warning of a looming rice crisis due to critically low national stocks and a court order blocking the importation of 500,000 tonnes of rice. The country currently holds only 20,000 50kg bags, far short of the projected monthly demand of 125,000 metric tonnes, threatening widespread food scarcity and price hikes.

• Current rice stock: 20,000 50kg bags versus a projected demand of 350,000 bags for government institutions.
• The High Court ruling on Wednesday, August 13, blocked the import of 500,000 metric tonnes of rice.
• CS Kagwe argued that failure to import would lead to an "acute food scarcity or a sharp spike in prices" for rice and other staples, creating a "domino effect on the cost of living."
• The Cabinet Secretary emphasized that over 95 per cent of imported rice is non-basmati, which does not directly compete with local pishori rice, in response to the petitioner, Farmers Party.