President William Ruto has announced a further reduction in the cost of subsidised fertiliser and certified maize seed as the Government moves to cushion farmers from drought-related losses and prepare them for the next planting season. The measures are intended to lower production costs and encourage farmers to take advantage of rains expected from October.
Speaking at the African Inland Church (AIC) Makutano in Taveta Constituency, Taita-Taveta County, President Ruto said the price of a 50-kilogramme bag of subsidised fertiliser will fall from Ksh2,500 to Ksh2,000. The Government will also subsidise certified maize seed by 50 per cent, effectively cutting the price paid by farmers in half.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the seed subsidy will reduce the price of certified maize seed from Ksh300 to Ksh150 per kilogramme. Consequently, a 2kg pack will cost Ksh300 instead of Ksh600, a 10kg pack Ksh1,500 instead of Ksh3,000, while a 25kg pack will retail at Ksh3,750, down from Ksh7,500.
The maize seed intervention is expected to cover approximately 40 million kilogrammes of seed, translating into an estimated Ksh6 billion Government subsidy. Farmers will access both subsidised fertiliser and maize seed through designated Government distribution channels, with the administration describing the intervention as part of its broader shift from subsidising consumption to supporting production.
President Ruto said the intervention was necessary after the failure of the May-August long rains in key agricultural areas, including the North Rift, resulted in substantial crop losses. He said lowering input costs would help farmers recover from the losses and ensure they are not excluded from the coming planting season because they cannot afford fertiliser and seed.
The latest reduction builds on the National Fertilizer Subsidy Programme introduced in 2022, when a 50kg bag of fertiliser cost about Ksh7,500. The price was subsequently reduced to Ksh2,500 and will now fall to Ksh2,000, representing a reduction of more than 73 per cent from the 2022 price. Since 2022, about 33.55 million bags have been distributed to approximately 1.98 million farmers, with Government support estimated at Ksh78.79 billion.
According to CS Kagwe, the fertiliser subsidy has coincided with significant gains in maize production, which increased from 34.3 million 90kg bags in 2022 to 73 million bags in 2025. Over the same period, maize imports declined by more than 66.5 per cent. The Government says the latest measures are designed to protect these gains from being reversed by drought while strengthening national food security.
Beyond the immediate subsidies, the Government plans to support agricultural recovery through irrigation, water harvesting and climate-smart farming initiatives to improve resilience to changing weather patterns. President Ruto also urged Kenyans to reject leaders who seek to divide the country along ethnic lines or promote what he termed bankrupt political ideologies, emphasising the need for unity as the country pursues food security and economic development.
