The government has approved the importation of raw sugar in a bid to avert a looming shortage in industries dependent on industrial sugar. Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, speaking on Thursday, August 28, during a visit to Kibos and Allied Industries in Kisumu, revealed that Kenya is currently grappling with a deficit of 400,000 metric tonnes of raw sugar.
Kinyanjui explained that the shortfall has hindered the operations of key processing plants such as Kibos, a facility that cost over Ksh2 billion to establish but has remained idle since 2016. “We don’t have enough raw sugar to process industrial sugar. As a result, we have to import because factories such as this one in Kibos have not worked for years,” he said.
According to the CS, industrial sugar is vital for several sectors, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and alcohol manufacturing. The shortage, he warned, threatens the smooth running of these industries, making importation unavoidable.
He emphasized that the importation window is temporary and will be strictly restricted to industrial sugar production, ensuring that local sugar production for household consumption remains unaffected. “Industrial sugar is processed for use in different industries, and as a result, we have to import because we don’t have enough raw sugar,” Kinyanjui explained.
The government is simultaneously working on long-term solutions to achieve self-sufficiency. In partnership with farmers and county governments, it is rolling out programmes to increase cane production, targeting sustainability within two to three years. “We will be looking into how to allow raw sugar in the short term, while ensuring farmers in this region and across the country can eventually meet both domestic and industrial demand,” Kinyanjui noted.
The CS assured stakeholders that the importation will remain under strict scrutiny, guided by Kenya’s regulations on quality control and import standards. He stressed that the government’s priority is protecting local industries while conserving foreign exchange. “Importation does not mean we suspend our regulations. Mechanisms for quality control will be followed to the letter,” he affirmed.
By balancing short-term imports with long-term strategies to boost local production, the government aims to end reliance on imports and build a sustainable sugar sector.
