Case lifts lid on fake rice being sold as Kenyan pishori

If you walk to either a supermarket or a retail shop, you will not miss rice branded either as pure Kenya pishori or blended pishori.

However, the aroma may feel the same, but the outcome and taste may be different

An intriguing court case now lifts the lid of your pot to reveal that your rice, allegedly, is not the authentic Kenya pishori rice.

In its case, the Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) has sued the Ministry of  Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and the Attorney General, accusing them of failing to tame the menace of adulterating the rice and mis-labelling to hoodwink Kenyans.

The case follows a complaint lodged by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), which lamented that despite the country having enough, tenderpreneurs are making a kill out of either buying Kenyan pishori at a throwaway price and blending it with imported rice for a rich aroma.

This, the manufacturers said, is slowly killing the rice industry as it spreads beyond a single product.

 In court, Cofek said that despite the government and Kens being aware, there have been no raids or recalls of rice brands that are not genuine Kenyan pishori.

“The respondents' continuing omissions have occasioned a recurring constitutional injury by allowing unsuspecting consumers to continue purchasing and consuming rice falsely represented as authentic "Kenya Pishori Rice." Consumers remain deprived of accurate information regarding the origin, quality and composition of the products they purchase. The continuing circulation of the impugned products exposes the public to health, safety and economic prejudice and undermines confidence in Kenya's consumer protection and standards regime,” the Stephen Mutoro-led lobby claimed.

Cofek’s lawyer Haron Mulongo urged the court to intervene by forcing Kebs to undertake a nationwide market surveillance and have all adulterated rice out of the Kenyan market.

He said that households are today eating rice that is questionable in standards while being falsely made to believe that they are taking the renowned brand.

“ The continued inaction of the Respondents affects millions of Kenyan consumers, genuine Pishori rice farmers, compliant millers and lawful traders and has substantially undermined public confidence in the national standards, consumer protection and regulatory enforcement framework, thereby rendering this matter one of exceptional public importance,” argued Mulongo.

In his supporting affidavit, Mutoro said that rice farming and processing had last year notified Kebs of the adulteration menace. In response to the complaint, he said, Kebs responded and suspended the standardisation mark that had been used to sell the rice.

However, he said that this communication did not solve the problem, as on April 10, 2026, KAM wrote again over the same non-compliant rice.

“ It therefore became apparent that although the second respondent had acknowledged the existence of regulatory malpractice, the continued circulation of the impugned products remained unresolved, thereby bringing the matter to a constitutional and legal impasse incapable of further administrative resolution. As matters presently stand, rice falsely represented as authentic "Kenya Pishori Rice" continues to circulate within the Kenyan market notwithstanding the regulatory findings already made by the second respondent (KEBS),” said Mutoro.

He insisted that unsuspecting consumers continue purchasing the rice without accurate and truthful information on the origin, quality, composition and conformity with the prescribed Kenya Standards.

Cofek wants the court to order KEBS to carry out market surveillance, inspection, sampling and laboratory analysis of all rice products marketed, packaged, labelled or distributed as "Kenya pishori rice" or under any similar description.

It also wants KEBS to make public its findings and have a recall of all the adulterated rice.

“ Rice constitutes one of the principal food commodities consumed by millions of Kenyan families and households across the Republic. The continued circulation of falsely branded rice therefore directly affects the health, safety and economic interests of the public and undermines the constitutional guarantees of consumer protection under Article 46 of the Constitution,” he argued.