Low rainfall during Kenya's cold season means a shortage of maize meal, the main staple of Kenyans.
The Ministry of Agriculture has sounded the alarm over low maize production that could see the price of the flour, known as 'unga wa mahindi', skyrocket.
"The cultivation of Kenya's main staple food depends on weather patterns," experts explain. "This year, farmers planted late in anticipation of rains that have become increasingly unpredictable. It should be noted that the low rainfall is exacerbated by rapid deforestation in most parts of the country and the resulting increase in soil carbon content, which causes acidity in the soil. There are also economic reasons, as many former maize farmers have decided to switch crops, due to low profit margins, to other crops that are easier to grow and more marketable.
To these elements must be added the harsh climate, which has not favoured plantation growth, and attacks by pests such as the 'autumn army worm' and locusts and diseases have also led to low production yields.
The Ministry has urged maize farmers in the Rift Valley counties to uproot maize stalks affected by armyworms.
In some areas, such as the usually fertile Trans Nzoia, maize production has dropped by 30 percent this year, with great consequences for the daily supply of the poor people and for farmers' earnings. In addition, counterfeit seeds have been placed on the market with the promise that they would make the crops grow faster. In reality, these seeds reduce the quantity and quality of the harvest.