Man nabbed as police seize 250 bags of rice in Makueni

Makueni County Commissioner Khalif Abdullahi addressing the press outside his office on January 28, 2026.

A man has been arrested, and 250 bags of rice, suspected to be stolen relief food, have been recovered in Makueni County.

The suspect was arrested after the motor vehicle he was driving was intercepted by police officers in the Emali area of Makueni County on Wednesday.

Makueni County Commissioner Khalif Abdullahi said the consignment was suspected to have been stolen while in transit from Mombasa County.

Abdullahi said police officers intercepted the Isuzu lorry during a routine patrol along the busy Nairobi–Mombasa Highway.

“Upon searching the motor vehicle, the officers discovered 250 bags of rice, each weighing 50 kilograms, packed in white sacks,” Abdullahi said.

He addressed the press at his office in Wote, Makueni County, shortly after the recovery.

The administrator said the vehicle’s driver was arrested and taken into lawful custody at a local police station pending arraignment in court after he failed to produce the necessary documents to account for the rice he was ferrying.

The confiscated sacks in which the rice was packed were all branded “Government of Kenya,” suggesting that the rice was meant for free distribution to vulnerable Kenyans facing hunger in various parts of the country.

According to preliminary investigations, the consignment was being transported to Nairobi from Mombasa City when the vehicle was intercepted and the driver arrested.

Abdullahi warned the public against smuggling or diverting relief supplies meant for the public.

“Anyone found culpable will face the full force of the law. We shall use our multi-agency security team to curb such incidents,” Abdullahi said.

The incident occurred at a time when some families in Makueni, Kitui, and Machakos counties are in dire need of relief food due to the ongoing drought in parts of the region.

The Star established that authorities in the affected areas were doing all they could to ensure government relief food reaches affected families and individuals.

Relief food in Kenya refers to food assistance provided to vulnerable populations, often in response to emergencies such as droughts, floods, or other crises.

This food aid is usually distributed by government agencies, non-governmental organisations, or international bodies such as the World Food Programme (WFP). It includes staples like maize meal, beans, cooking oil, and sometimes fortified blended foods.

In Kenya, relief food is often targeted at areas with high poverty rates, malnutrition, or those affected by climate-related disasters. The government, through agencies such as the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), works with partners to identify vulnerable households and distribute food or cash transfers.