Kenyan Maize Prices Hit 20-Month High of KSh 6,400 Ahead of Harvesting Season
- The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) revealed why maize prices in the country soared to a 20-month high
- Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe intervened to permit the duty-free importation of millions of bags of yellow maize for animal feed production, but the prices continued to rise
- KNBS noted that the country's inflation rose in July, following the increase in the prices of unga and other basic commodities
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting and offers deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
The decreased supply of Kenya's staple food, maize, has caused its price to soar to its highest levels in 20 months.
Source: Facebook
This came even after the government allowed duty-free imports of yellow maize to ease competition for the cereal from animal feed producers.
In July, the average price of a kilogramme of loose maize sold for KSh 71.24, the highest since November 2023, when the average price was KSh 71.98, according to data compiled by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
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What's the price of a 90kg bag of maize?
In early April, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe intervened to permit duty-free importation of 5.5 million bags of yellow maize for animal feed production, but the prices have continued to rise.
In Western and Southern Kenya (including Narok), where farming is mostly done on a small scale, the retail price of a 90-kilogramme bag of maize has reached KSh 6,400 before the major harvest season, according to KNBS data.
In North Rift, the nation's food basket, large-scale maize production is not anticipated until October or November.
Source: Twitter
What was Kenya's maize production in 2024?
Unpredictable weather, particularly floods in May 2024, impacted maize production last year.
KNBS reported that output declined 6.1% to 44.7 million 90-kilogramme bags from 47.6 million in 2023.
The drop in production meant the government missed its 2024 target of 74 million bags, which was intended to set the country on a path to food security despite President William Ruto's fertiliser subsidy programme.
Flour millers sought an additional supply from Tanzania and passed on the resulting costs to consumers.
In April, when millers resorted to imports, a 90-kilogramme bag's wholesale price had increased to KSh 4,250 to KSh 4,300 from KSh 3,400 to KSh 3,500 per bag in December 2024
For the first time since November 2023, the price of a two-kilogramme packet of sifted maize flour has exceeded KSh 160, and for the first time since February 2024, the average retail price of fortified flour has surpassed KSh 170.
What was Kenya's inflation in July?
Kenya's inflation rate increased from 3.8% in June 2025 to 4.1% in July 2025.
Throughout the month, KNBS noted a rise in the cost of basic commodities such as sugar and unga.
A spot check across supermarkets showed that a 2kg packet of sugar retailed at an average of KSh 350.
During the same time under review, fuel and electricity costs also rose.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
