The country’s milling industry faces growing pressure from rising demand for maize, with the government calling for enhanced local production, to reduce reliance on imports from neighbouring countries.

Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department of Industry, Dr Juma Mukhwana, said the country must invest in expanding maize production to ensure adequate supplies of the staple food and sustain the milling industry.

Mukhwana noted that Kenya currently supplements local production with imports from Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, warning that the country must strengthen its own capacity to meet growing demand.

Speaking during the Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI) 2026 Awards in Thika, Kiambu County, he identified irrigation as a key opportunity to increase production, particularly in semi-arid areas of Tana River, Isiolo and Garissa counties.

“We need to think of irrigating arable land in semi-arid areas, to produce enough maize for our growing population,” he said.

He also challenged millers to promote ugali and other maize-based products beyond the African market, saying Kenya had an opportunity to make them more widely accepted internationally.

On maize flour fortification, Cereal Millers Association (CMA) Chief Executive Officer Paloma Fernandes, said millers had a responsibility to provide safe and nutritious food, adding that quality production, should go beyond meeting government regulations.

“We don’t need to be mandated to produce safe and nutritious food. It should be part of what we do. We must always keep doing the right things,” she said.

Fernandes said CMA represents more than 60 millers, placing the industry in a key position to improve food safety and consumer confidence.

She, however, called for stronger monitoring of the sector, noting that unregistered flour manufacturers, make it difficult to enforce quality and fortification standards.

Some of the milers who were feted during the Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI) 2026 Awards in Thika, Kiambu County, yesterday.

CMA Board Chairman, Beju Shah, also cited high production costs, delayed subsidy payments exceeding Sh3.2 billion and port delays, as some of the challenges affecting millers.

The Annual KMFI Awards, organised by CMA in partnership with TechnoServe, through the Millers for Nutrition initiative, recognise companies making progress in food fortification, quality assurance and manufacturing standards.

TechnoServe Global Programme Director for Millers for Nutrition, Rizwan Yusufali, said the index encourages transparency and continuous improvement through independent verification, training and peer benchmarking.

Organisers said the awards were designed to motivate millers to maintain good practices, with participation growing from five companies in the inaugural edition to 35 this year.

Food fortification involves adding essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin A and B-complex vitamins to maize and wheat flour to help address nutritional deficiencies, particularly among children and mothers.

By Muoki Charles