Mwea MP Maingi presses government to shield local rice farmers from imports
The Mt Kenya Times 
Mwea MP Mary Maingi
Mary Maingi takes Mwea’s rice farmers’ grievances to Parliament’s Agriculture Committee in a direct challenge to the Ministry over import policy
By John Kariuki
Mwea Member of Parliament Mary Maingi has intensified her push for the protection of local rice farmers, taking their concerns directly to the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Agriculture during a high-level engagement with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
The meeting, chaired by Tigania West MP John Mutunga, brought together Members of Parliament, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe, Principal Secretary Kipronoh Ronoh and senior ministry officials to address a growing list of legislative statements raised by MPs on pressing agricultural issues affecting their constituents.
Maingi’s submission centred on the plight of Mwea rice farmers, who have expressed alarm over the government’s decision to import rice while significant quantities of locally produced rice remain unsold. She sought a comprehensive explanation from the Ministry, stressing the need for policies that prioritise local producers and protect the livelihoods of thousands of farming families who depend on rice cultivation.
The issue formed part of a broader agenda as the Committee examined several urgent matters affecting the agricultural sector — among them fertiliser shortages, the spread of the invasive dodder weed, delayed payments for key agricultural infrastructure projects and concerns over the alleged importation of refined sugar under the cover of industrial sugar classification.
The engagement followed the Committee’s frustration that previous Ministry responses had fallen short of adequately addressing legislators’ concerns, prompting members to demand direct accountability from the Ministry’s leadership.
Mutunga urged ministry officials to provide detailed, evidence-based responses, noting that Parliament depends on accurate information to represent Kenyans effectively and strengthen oversight.
“We need you as a Ministry to take these matters seriously. There is no Ministry that has better data and whose research departments are as equipped as this one. We therefore require you to stop giving half-done responses to some of the weighty concerns that Members are seeking answers to,” Mutunga said.
For Maingi, the engagement marks another step in her sustained advocacy for Mwea’s farmers, whose output has made the constituency Kenya’s leading rice-producing region. She has consistently championed measures to ensure farmers receive fair returns for their produce while supporting food security through increased backing for local agricultural production.
The meeting also underscored the growing collaboration between Parliament and the Ministry in resolving sectoral challenges through constructive dialogue and accountability.
The Departmental Committee on Agriculture is expected to table the Ministry’s responses before the National Assembly on Thursday, 30 July 2026, with stakeholders keenly awaiting the government’s position on the concerns raised by Maingi and other members.
The outcome is expected to shape future policy interventions aimed at strengthening Kenya’s agricultural sector, protecting local producers and keeping farmers at the centre of the country’s food security and economic transformation agenda.
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