By John Kariuki
Kirinyaga Senator James Murango has sounded the alarm over what he terms a deepening agricultural crisis in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, urging immediate government intervention to rescue thousands of rice farmers grappling with unsold stock.
In a formal letter addressed to the Ministry of Agriculture and copied to the National Treasury, the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC), and the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee in the National Assembly Senator Murango is calling on the government to purchase over 5,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice currently stuck in stores due to an oversupply of imports.
“The influx of cheap imported rice has saturated the market, leaving local farmers unable to sell their harvest,” Senator Murango said. “This situation is dire, and unless swift action is taken, the economic fabric of Mwea’s rice-growing community will unravel.”
To cushion the farmers and stabilize the sector, Murango is proposing a special budget allocation of at least Ksh 600 million. The funds, he says, should be used to buy the rice at a minimum rate of Ksh 100 per kilogram a fair price that would enable farmers to recover their production costs and prepare for the next planting season.
“With the planting period fast approaching, farmers urgently need capital to prepare their fields. Delayed payments or government inaction could lead to widespread disruption in rice production and, by extension, threaten national food security,” the senator warned.
Murango also criticized what he termed lax import controls and insufficient support for local producers, noting that unchecked imports were undermining Kenya’s food sovereignty. He challenged the Ministry of Agriculture to collaborate with relevant state agencies to secure local markets for domestic produce.
“The government must act decisively not only to protect our farmers, but to support rural livelihoods, strengthen food systems, and boost the local economy,” he said. “This is not the time for silence. It is time for action.”
The senator’s appeal is already stirring debate in policy circles, as stakeholders wait to see whether the government will prioritize local agriculture amid ongoing economic challenges.
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