Is Rachel Ruto’s Claim That Ugandans Do Not Use Fertilizer True?

On April 15, 2024, First Lady Rachel Ruto claimed that Ugandans do not use fertilisers due to the “East Africa Revival that swept Uganda and some parts of East Africa”. She made these remarks when speaking at a Thanksgiving service in Nairobi. “The reason why Uganda is so fertile and it has been raining is because of the East Africa Revival,” Rachel proclaimed, adding , “Revival has come to Kenya, In days to come these rains you are seeing will not come to an end”.

In Kenya, we have to plant with fertilizer, but in Uganda they don't plant with Fertilizer. The reason why Uganda is very fertile and its raining its because of the East Africa revival that swept Uganda and some parts of East Africa – Mama Rachel Ruto. pic.twitter.com/9ql7LAP1DD

— NairobiLeo.co.ke (@Nairobi_Leo) April 16, 2024

Background

From 2019 to late 2023, the Horn of Africa, including Kenya, faced its worst drought in 40 years, threatening food security in the region. In response, the Kenyan government distributed subsidised fertilisers in response, amid forecasts of increased rainfall due to the El Nino phenomenon predicted for late 2023 to early 2024. Kenya is experiencing heavy rainfall resulting in 291 deaths as of May 13, 2024, and thousands of displacements countrywide. 

These heavy rains have also disrupted farming, coming at the beginning of planting season for many farmers and disrupting agricultural activities due to persistent flooding. As a result, food insecurity has become a hot topic in the country.

Verification

According to trade data between 2012 and 2021, Uganda imported fertilisers valued at at least $706.8 million from countries globally including other African countries. See a visualisation for every year below.

It is important to note that Ugandan farmers use less fertilisers than farmers in Kenya. While a Kenyan used about 24 kilograms of fertiliser per acre in 2021, a Ugandan farmer used only 1 kilogram per acre according to the World Bank. Kenya imported at least $5 billion of fertiliser between 2013 and 2022, more than seven times what Uganda imports. 

According to Moses Nyabila, CEO of aBi Development, Uganda’s lower fertiliser use is due to having more arable land per capita and far more water resources available for agriculture than Kenya, which is the reason why the country has higher productivity. The claim that Uganda does not use fertiliser, he states, is false. 

Uganda’s soil’s fertility is declining as noted in government reports, prompting authorities to encourage fertiliser use countrywide through subsidising and constructing manufacturing plants. In the 2022/2023 financial year, Uganda spent over $81.8 million on a cost-affordable fertiliser plant.

Because of Uganda’s geographical position along the tropics and across the Equator, the country experiences humid tropical climate, receiving more rainfall than Kenya on average. 

Verdict

Rachel Ruto’s claim that Ugandans Do Not Use Fertilizer is FALSE. The country imports significant quantities of fertilizer for domestic use, as shown in import data published by the UN and confirmed by an expert in the field.