Food Security

The future of Kenya's food security situation remains precarious unless strong and immediate measures are taken.

This is according to a follow-up study on high food and commodity prices especially maize conducted by Heinrich Boll Stiftung foundation.

The report recommends a price control mechanism to curb the ever escalating prices of the country's staple food.

Since 2007 the world commodity prices have continued to escalate day by day, triggered by high costs of crude oil.

However, despite recovery by many African countries such as Botswana, Kenya's staple food, maize is still uncertain both at production and marketing levels, a situation that has led to importation of maize to curb food insecurity.

The research by Heinrich Boll Stiftung cites poor and un-dedicated governance as the root cause of the maize crisis facing the country.

The study cites the status quo of government's duty waiver, the National Cereals and Produce Board's ineffectiveness to stabilize prices, lack of legislation and high costs of inputs as some of the causes of increasing maize prices.

The foundation called on the government to exploit other ways of food production such as irrigation in order to increase the acreage under the crop.

It also calls on the government to introduce mechanism to control the price of maize in the country.