Right to Food Coalition Disputes Kenya’s Food Security Claim

The Right to Food Coalition has challenged claims that Kenya is food secure, citing 2.7 million people facing acute food insecurity in arid and semi-arid areas and rising food prices that continue to strain household budgets.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, October 22, the coalition said food security should be measured by whether people can consistently afford and access adequate, safe and nutritious food, rather than by national food stocks, production figures or import plans.

The coalition cited a September 2026 analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which found that about 2.7 million people in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) faced Crisis-level acute food insecurity or worse between July and October. Of these, 348,000 were classified in the Emergency phase.

The assessment, released on September 14, represented a 55 per cent increase from the previous analysis. It projected that about 2.1 million people in the ASALs would remain in Crisis-level food insecurity or worse between November 2026 and January 2027, although conditions were expected to improve modestly as the short rains strengthened.

The coalition’s statement followed remarks by Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe that Kenya is food secure.

While welcoming his recognition that food security involves affordability and access to balanced diets, the coalition argued that the country’s situation must be assessed against the experiences of households struggling to obtain food.

It also cited data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) showing that prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 9.5 per cent in the year to September 2026, compared with overall annual inflation of 6.8 per cent.

The KNBS report further showed that food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose by 0.9 per cent between August and September, with fresh packeted cow milk recording a monthly increase of 6 per cent.

The coalition said these pressures make food increasingly difficult to afford, particularly for households already facing economic hardship. It also cited Kenya’s 2026 Global Hunger Index score of 25.0, which categorised the country’s hunger situation as serious.

The group argued that the country’s food security challenges extend beyond production to the cost of farming, post-harvest losses, distribution and access to nutritious diets.

Kenya’s planned importation of 25 million bags of maize was another concern raised in the statement.

The coalition said the National Cereals and Produce Board had bought fewer than one million bags from local farmers, despite raising its purchase price from KSh3,800 to KSh4,000 per bag.

It acknowledged that imports could be necessary to meet domestic demand but questioned whether the country was doing enough to strengthen local production and reduce recurring shortages.

The coalition cited estimates that between 20 and 36 per cent of Kenya’s maize is lost or wasted before reaching consumers, with much of the loss occurring during storage. It called for investment in drying facilities, storage and improved handling to preserve harvests and protect farmers’ earnings.

It also urged the government to address the cost of seed, fertiliser, labour and transport, alongside taxes and levies that affect agricultural production. The coalition said investment in irrigation, water harvesting and climate-resilient crop varieties would help farmers withstand erratic rainfall and reduce future supply shortfalls.

The statement also raised concerns about food safety, calling for the completion and publication of pesticide reviews and strict testing of imported maize for aflatoxins and pesticide residues.

The coalition has asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development to publish, within 30 days, the indicators used to determine that Kenya is food secure and the supply-and-demand assessment supporting the maize import plan.

It also wants national and county governments to disclose the coverage and adequacy of food assistance, social protection and nutrition services in areas facing Crisis or Emergency levels of food insecurity.

Other proposals include reviewing taxes on agricultural inputs and publishing regular county-level data on food prices, dietary diversity and malnutrition.

The statement comes as Kenya prepares to host the 17th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security in Nairobi on October 29 and 30, 2026, under the African Union.

The coalition called on the government to demonstrate measurable progress in tackling hunger, lowering the cost of food and supporting local farmers, arguing that Kenya’s food security should be judged by whether households can consistently afford and access nutritious meals.

As Nairobi prepares to host the Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security on October 29 and 30, the coalition said the government should present evidence of improvements in people’s lives, rather than rely on national declarations.