MEMBER VOICE — KENYA

KENAFF CEO Dr. Daniel Mwendah M’Mailutha warns that Kenyan farmers are being squeezed from two sides simultaneously, rising fuel costs and fertiliser shortages, right at the peak of the agricultural season.

The Strait of Hormuz blockade has severely affected East Africa: diesel prices have soared and fertiliser shipments have stalled during the peak planting season. The WFO member Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF) documents the concrete impact. As CEO, Dr Daniel Mwendah M’Mailutha told El País: “Combining these factors, 2027 will likely be a challenging year for many farmers.”

“There have been many complaints and protests. There are farmers who have been forced to reduce their planned acreage, or to plant without fertilisers.” Dr. Daniel Mwendah M’Mailutha, CEO, KENAFF, May 2026

The fertiliser squeeze: wrong season, wrong moment

Kenya imports 26% of its fertiliser via the Strait of Hormuz, according to UNCTAD data. The conflict began just as the Rift Valley and Mount Kenya regions, Kenya’s most productive agricultural zones, entered peak planting in March and April. KENAFF reports persistent shortages, with farmers lining up at state distribution points and private distributors unable to plan. Some have reduced planned acreage; others have planted without fertiliser.

Maize—a staple crop, key animal feed, and Kenya’s most nutrient-demanding crop—is particularly threatened. After a 2.2% production increase in 2025, M’Mailutha fears a reversal: “Many farmers will not be able to recover their investment and will face losses between the end of this year and the beginning of the next. Some have already taken out loans and will probably not be able to repay them.”

Fuel costs and the knock-on effects

Kenya’s energy regulator raised fuel prices by 24.2% in April and a further 23.5% in May. Higher transport costs are making it harder for distributors to reach smallholder farmers in remote areas, and food prices in urban markets are rising sharply — with vegetables such as tomatoes reportedly having tripled in parts of Nairobi. For irrigated crop farmers, the situation is made worse by load shedding: many have turned into diesel-powered generators, adding a further cost at a time when fuel prices are at their highest.

Government response and the way forward

KENAFF reports that the Kenyan government is directly engaging with farmers. Authorities are striving to source fertiliser through alternative maritime routes for the next planting season, October and November, in the eastern region. KENAFF welcomes this approach, with M’Mailutha emphasising that “open dialogue between agricultural leadership and policymakers is crucial to building long-term resilience.”

The crisis has sharpened focus on reducing Kenya’s dependence on imported inputs. KENAFF and its partners are working with farmers to develop organic, locally sourced alternatives—an approach that has gained new urgency in the current context. This is not Kenya’s first encounter with this kind of shock: the 2022 Ukraine crisis sent fertiliser prices up by as much as 400%, and erratic rainfall continues to compound the pressure on farmers year after year.

This update is part of an ongoing series in which WFO is gathering and amplifying contributions from its member organisations worldwide in response to the Middle East crisis

About KENAFF

Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF) is WFO’s member organisation in Kenya and the apex umbrella farmers’ organisation in the country, representing 1.4 million farming households across all 47 counties, organised in 11 regions and 42 commodity associations. KENAFF’s core mandate is to represent, articulate, promote and protect the interests of Kenyan farmers through lobby, advocacy, policy action and farmer empowerment. KENAFF is co-organiser of the 2026 WFO Annual Meeting, taking place in Nairobi from 8–11 June 2026.

Cover photo: ©Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF)