Ce/MgO catalysts were developed for the oxidation of Kenaf stalks under microwave irradiation. The MgO was synthesized using hydrothermal methods at pH 12, followed by drying at 120 °C for 12 hours and calcination at 500 °C for 5 hours. The synthesized MgO was then impregnated with 10, 20 and 30wt. Ce using the incipient wetness impregnation method, dried at 120 °C for 12 hours and calcined at 500 °C for 4 hours. The catalysts were characterized for their physicochemical properties using XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms and CO2-TPD. The synthesized MgO showed the presence of diffraction peaks which could be assigned to cubic MgO, while the Ce/MgO catalysts showed the presence of cubic fluorite of CeO2. The surface area, pore volume and average pore size showed decreasing pattern as Ce content increased. The total basicity of the Ce/MgO catalyst increases as the ceria content was increased from 10 to 30 wt.. All catalysts were tested for direct oxidation of Kenaf stalks under microwave irradiation to determine the effect of different ceria loading on MgO support catalyst for vanillin production. The highest vanillin yield of 1.37 was achieved using 30Ce/MgO catalyst under 200 W microwave power output. Other major compounds detected were 4-vinylguaiacol, syringol and syringaldehyde. © 2023 Author(s).