Kenya’s expenditure on rice imports exceeded wheat for the first time in 2025 after the government opened a controversial duty-free import window to avert shortages, underscoring the country’s growing reliance on foreign supplies to meet rising demand.
The latest Economic Survey shows that Kenya’s rice import bill stood at Sh55.11 billion in 2025, overtaking the Sh41.73 billion spent on unmilled wheat and marking a historic reversal in the country’s cereal import profile.
