Farmers and agriculture experts in Kenya’s North Rift are warning of a poor harvest this season due to erratic rainfall patterns linked to climate change, which have left crops wilting and disrupted planting schedules.
The North Rift, which produces a significant share of the country’s maize, has experienced a combination of unusually early rains followed by prolonged dry spells, leaving crops stressed at critical growth stages. Farmers say the lack of moisture has affected crop development raising fears of reduced yields this season.
Meteorological reports have also warned of the possibility of heavy rains later in the season, presenting an additional risk to crops already weakened by the dry conditions.
The government has been seeking to boost food production and lower the cost of living through subsidised fertiliser programmes. However, farmers say the benefits are being undermined by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
“Many farmers were forced to revise their planting calendars following unusually early rains that caught them unprepared for planting. The depressed rainfall being experienced across most parts of the region has resulted in crop wilting, while the projected heavy rains in the coming months pose a significant risk of further damage to produce,” said Mr Ezekiel Kosgei, a farmer from Ziwa in Uasin Gishu County.
Farmers say maize planted after the early rains is now struggling due to a lack of consistent rainfall.
“I had to plant maize following the unusual early rains but the rains stopped when the crop reached the flowering stage, when it requires plenty of water. It seems the season will be tough, and we may experience a failed harvest,” said Mr Richard Amdany from Kiplombe in Uasin Gishu County.
Below-normal rainfall between March and May has added pressure on farmers who are still recovering from delays in the distribution of subsidised fertiliser and last season’s fall armyworm infestation, which destroyed crops in some areas and forced farmers to replant.
Labourers thresh maize at Salgaa trading Centre in Nakuru City on September 21, 2025 before drying it under the sun.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
“The unpredictable rainfall spells doom for many farmers who have not recovered from the high cost of farm inputs and repeated disease outbreaks,” said Mr Kevin Kiprotich, a farmer from Kabenes in Soy Constituency, Uasin Gishu County.
Planting has also been affected. In Uasin Gishu County, only about 77,225 hectares of the targeted 92,500 hectares were planted with maize after the area received just 22.5 millimetres of rainfall during the April planting season, compared with 134 millimetres recorded during the same period last year.
Other major maize-growing counties, including Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Baringo, Nakuru and Bungoma, also recorded significantly below-average rainfall between February and April.
These counties form part of Kenya’s food basket, where farmers typically harvest between 15 and 25 bags of maize per acre depending on rainfall and access to farm inputs.
Uasin Gishu Agriculture Executive Sammin Kipkemboi Kottut confirmed that crops in the region are experiencing stress, with many farmers reporting wilting.
“Most farmers have reported crop wilting, but we do not expect the situation to persist for long,” he said.
Tea companies and small-scale farmers are reporting declining yields due to prolonged dry spells and inconsistent rainfall over recent months.
Some tea firms have been forced to prune plantations and scale down their workforce as production declines.
“I recorded almost zero yield in February. Production improved slightly in March and April following a brief period of rainfall, but the situation has deteriorated again,” said Mr Mathew Koech, a tea farmer from Saos in Nandi County.
Other crops, including coffee, pyrethrum and sugarcane, are also expected to suffer due to the prevailing weather conditions.
Uasin Gishu County Governor Jonathan Bii.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii said climate change has become a major challenge to agricultural production and called for increased investment in irrigation infrastructure.
“We have more than 300 dams that were constructed during the colonial period. We are in the process of desilting them to support irrigated agriculture and enable our farmers to produce sufficient maize and high-value crops such as coffee, avocado and passion fruit,” he said.
The governor said strengthening irrigation systems would help cushion farmers against increasingly erratic weather patterns and enhance food security in the region.
