President Ruto has reiterated a need to cut imports into the country by 50% in 5 years and 100% in a decade.
“The 500 billion Kenyan shillings we spend every year to import food into Kenya will only go down the day we produce that food in Kenya. That is the step we are making, and we have committed a government that we want to reduce imports by 50 per cent in the next five years and by 100 per cent in 10 years,” he said.
Ruto explained that in a decade, Kenya should not be importing edible oil, sugar, maize or other food items. If by then Kenya was still importing foreign goods to complement local reserves, it would be in the government’s contingency plan to have a commensurate export of other products to cover up for deficits in the Treasury’s foreign exchange.
He also insisted that his government was in full gear to tackle the challenges facing the country. Further, he clarified the purpose of the ongoing national executive retreat, citing it as a collective effort to clarify the goals for legislation and the nation at large.
He added that after the retreat, his camp would put forward new proposals for the budget to carry out discussed activities in the interest of Kenyans.
In October 2023, he stated that 2024 would be the last year to import maize into the country to factor in the gap in production.
“We will produce enough maize for our consumption. I plan to make sure we don’t import food into the country,” he said at a past function.
He urged farmers to increase the amount of fertilizer used in their farms to boost output.