TEAM EVOLVE Urges Halt to Duty-Free Rice Imports, Citing Threat to Local Farmers
By Jameson Mutua
TEAM EVOLVE, a civic advocacy group led by Prof. Fred Ogolla, has issued a strong condemnation of the government's recent decision to allow the importation of 500,000 metric tons of duty-free rice. In a statement released today, the group warned that the move poses a serious threat to Kenya’s domestic rice industry, national food security, and economic sovereignty.
The government, through Gazette Notice No. 10353 dated July 28, 2025, authorized the duty-free import of grade-1 milled white rice until December 31, 2025. TEAM EVOLVE argues that this decision undermines the livelihoods of local farmers and small businesses, while benefiting politically connected importers.
“Kenya should be investing in agriculture to secure food sovereignty—not flooding the market with cheap foreign imports that destroy local industries,” said Prof. Ogolla. “This is not just poor policy—it is a betrayal of the Kenyan people.”
Currently, Kenya consumes about one million metric tons of rice annually but produces only 300,000 tons locally. TEAM EVOLVE insists that the solution lies in boosting domestic production rather than importing. They point to Tanzania as a successful example, having banned rice imports and invested in local production—achieving a surplus of 2.4 million metric tons in 2023.
The group criticized the government for perpetuating an annual cycle of importation that disadvantages local farmers, millers, and traders—many of whom are struggling with rising operational costs and heavy taxation. Meanwhile, duty-free importers, they claim, profit at the expense of tax-paying businesses.
“The same quota was issued last year, and data from the USDA showed that retail prices did not drop significantly. These imports do not benefit consumers—they only enrich a few insiders,” the statement read.
TEAM EVOLVE also warned that this decision will have ripple effects across Kenya’s rice-producing regions—Mwea, Ahero, and Bura—where harvesting is ongoing. They argue that flooding the market with cheap imports will lead to mass job losses and business closures, further weakening Kenya’s already strained economy.
The group is calling for the immediate cancellation of Gazette Notice No. 10353 and the reinstatement of the 35% import duty to ensure a level playing field for local producers. They are also urging the government to redirect public investment toward expanding irrigation infrastructure, strengthening farmer cooperatives, supporting local millers and input suppliers, and scaling up value addition through the National Rice Development Strategy.
In addition, TEAM EVOLVE is demanding a more inclusive and transparent investment approach in the rice sector—one that opens opportunities for multiple investors rather than appearing to favour a select few or foreign governments. The movement further insists that the country needs a realistic and time-bound strategy to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2030, warning that current government plans remain vague and inadequate given the country’s low production levels.
The group called on civil society, faith leaders, farmers, the media, and ordinary citizens to speak out against the policy, warning that such decisions will only deepen inequality and economic hardship.
“As much as global systems thrive on exclusion and exploitation, we must not allow a Kenyan government to exclude and exploit its own people,” said Prof. Ogolla. “This is a matter of dignity, justice, and survival. Kenya must evolve from a consumption economy to a production economy. The wheels of our economy must move—now, not in 2027.”
TEAM EVOLVE pledged to continue advocating for fair, people-centered economic policies and vowed to hold the government accountable for decisions that jeopardize national food security and economic well-being.
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