Rice saga: Court compels State to buy local rice before imports
Order followed a petition by Kirinyaga leaders who challenged a decision to import of 500,000 tonnes of rice...
✨ Key Highlights
The High Court has compelled the Kenyan government to purchase all locally produced rice nationwide before allowing further duty-free imports. This ruling, in response to a petition filed by Kirinyaga Senator Kamau Murango and Baragwi Ward Representative David Mathenge, mandates a 30-day "mop-up" operation to clear local stocks.
- The court criticized the State for weak and selective purchasing, which excluded thousands of local producers while permitting cheaper foreign rice into the market.
- The mop-up must include cooperatives, individual farmers, traders, and millers across all major rice-producing regions, including Mwea, Bura, Ahero, and Nyatike.
- The previous duty-free rice imports in October 2025 saw only 514 tonnes purchased from local farmers, compared to 254,828 tonnes imported, despite court orders to prioritize local stocks.
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Kenyan Courts Rule on Presidential Offices and Rice Imports; LSK Petitioned Over Drug Case Centralization - February 2026
The High Court in Kenya rejected an application to suspend a previous judgment that had nullified the creation of presidential advisory offices, with Justice Bahati Mwamuye ruling the request was res judicata. In a separate case, the High Court compelled the Kenyan government to purchase all locally produced rice nationwide before allowing further duty-free imports. This ruling, in response to a petition by Senator Kamau Murango and Representative David Mathenge, mandates a 30-day "mop-up" operation. Additionally, an advocate has petitioned the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to challenge a directive by Chief Justice Martha Koome that centralized drug cases to just four courts, arguing it limits access to justice.
