President William Ruto on Sunday said that the country spends over half a trillion to import food in what is partly draining dollar reserves.
The president regretted Kenya continues to be a net importer of food items that can be firmed or produced locally.
Speaking when he attended the Centenary celebrations of the AIPCA church at Kasarani Gymnasium, the president urged Kenyans to go back to their farms.
The president challenged the church to partner with the government in its efforts to achieve food security in the country.
"At the moment, we import food worth Sh500 billion every year,'' the president said.
"That is the food we can produce here in Kenya.''
The president said that the government had deliberately decided that it would help farmers to produce sufficient food in the country to cut down on imports.
''We have decided that we will use that money to buy food from our farmers,'' Ruto said.
The government has made steps to supply farmers with cheaper fertiliser in efforts to improve yields and enhance food security.
The president said the country was blessed with enough rainfall especially in 2023 when rain was abundant across the country.
''We shall continue to pray to God so that he can give us enough rain this year and more years coming so that we can continue to produce enough food,'' he said.
At the same time, the president said the government is committed to sourcing enough job opportunities both in the country and abroad.
''We want to bring on board all the Kenyan youth to get jobs,'' Ruto said urging the youth to take up jobs in the construction of affordable housing and export of labour.
During the centenary celebrations, the president thanked the AIPCA church for its contribution to the advancement of education and health in the country.
He said the church played a key role in the fight against colonialism before the country achieved its independence.
''Let's all support the new bishop so that we can unite the church and forget the past,'' the president said.
Archbishop Samson Muthuri is the leader of the church.
Muthuri took over from Archbishop Julius Njoroge who held the position in an interim capacity.
Muthuri had told the Star in an interview last year that he would lead the more than 3.5 million congregants to adhere to the dictates of the constitution.
“Unlike the years past, where wanton disregard of the laid-out church directives was blatantly looked down on due to the far-ranging division, members unanimously resolved to follow to the hilt the constitution they crafted by themselves,” Muthuri said.