The High Court in Kisumu has ordered the Kenyan government to disclose details of importers benefiting from duty-free imports of 490,000 metric tonnes of rice. The ruling follows a petition by the Ahero Rice Farmers Association. The court set a seven-day deadline for compliance.
Justice Alfred Mabeya certified the petition as urgent on July 9, 2026. He directed the Cabinet Secretaries for the Treasury and Agriculture, along with the Agriculture and Food Authority and the Kenya Revenue Authority, to respond by July 20.
The orders require disclosure of approved importers, rice quantities allocated, amounts already imported, customs entry numbers, and duty exemptions. The government must also reveal the criteria for approvals and any remaining quota under Gazette Notice No. 10061 of July 6, 2026.
The Ahero Rice Farmers Association filed the petition, arguing that local farmers in Ahero, Mwea, and Bunyala were not consulted. The group seeks transparency but does not request a halt to the imports, which run until November 30, 2026.