Food security requires answers, not just maize imports

Kenya’s looming food shortage is a stark reminder that food security cannot be left to the vagaries of rainfall or emergency imports. The country’s traditional bread baskets of Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu have experienced depressed rains at a critical stage of the farming calendar, raising legitimate concerns about the maize harvest and national food supplies.

The government has already indicated that maize imports may be necessary. If this becomes unavoidable, there must be complete transparency. Kenyans deserve to know when the import process was initiated, exactly how much maize is being sought, the procurement method used, the companies that have won the tenders and the prices being paid. Food imports must not become another avenue for profiteering at the expense of struggling consumers and farmers.

But equally important are questions about Galana-Kulalu, once presented as a transformative solution to Kenya’s food insecurity. The irrigation project was supposed to reduce the country’s dependence on rain-fed agriculture and provide a reliable source of food during drought and erratic rainfall.

What happened to that promise? How much has been spent, what acreage is currently under production and why has the project failed to deliver at the scale envisaged?

Kenya must stop treating food crises as periodic emergencies. The government owes citizens honest answers on Galana-Kulalu and full disclosure on maize imports. Sustainable investment in irrigation, storage and climate-resilient agriculture must replace perpetual firefighting.