Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui has revealed that Kenya is currently unable to meet its domestic milk demand, forcing the country to import milk from neighbouring countries, including Uganda.
Speaking during a family day organised by the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru, Kinyanjui described the situation as unsustainable and called for increased support for dairy farmers to boost local production.
The CS said the government was working on measures to address the supply gap and help Kenya achieve self-sufficiency in milk production.
Kenya Imports Milk Amid Supply Shortage
Kinyanjui said the government would also examine how milk is consumed locally as part of efforts to ensure available supplies meet domestic demand.
“Katika muda mfupi, pia tutakuwa tunaangalia namna maziwa yanavyotumika humu nchini. Kwa sasa, hatuwezi kukidhi mahitaji yetu yote ya maziwa locally. So, we are actually importing milk from neighbouring countries like Uganda, and we believe that this is not where the country should be,” he said.
“So, we are asking our farmers, and we will support you to ensure that you can produce enough for the nation to achieve self-sufficiency.”
The remarks come amid a milk supply squeeze that has seen some supermarkets report reduced stocks, while consumers have faced price increases of between Ksh.3 and Ksh.5 for a 500-millilitre packet.
The Kenya Dairy Board attributed the shortage to seasonal production challenges, with formal milk deliveries to processors falling by 3.7 per cent from 84.4 million litres in June to 81.3 million litres in July.
The board also warned that supplies could decline further in August, citing dry and cold weather in key milk-producing regions that has affected pasture and fodder availability.
