As concerns grow over the availability and cost of sugar, the Kenya Sugar Board has sought to reassure Kenyans that there is no imminent shortage and that prices are expected to remain stable, despite a difficult production period.
Speaking on the state of the sector, Kenya Sugar Board Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire said the challenges currently being experienced are part of a broader transition and should not alarm consumers.
“There is no need for panic buying,” Chesire said, urging households and businesses to continue purchasing sugar as usual. “The supply situation is under control, even as demand continues to rise.”
According to the Board, several factors have combined to slow production, including unfavourable weather, a growing national appetite for sugar and deliberate decisions taken to protect future cane. Chesire explained that 2024 recorded high output after most of the mature cane was harvested, but the following year told a different story.
“In 2025, a significant amount of cane was still developing and could not be harvested without compromising future yields,” he said.
To avoid hurting farmers and weakening the industry, seven sugar factories in both Lower and Upper Western regions were temporarily shut to allow cane to mature properly. At the same time, some state-owned mills were closed to pave the way for leasing to private investors, part of ongoing reforms aimed at reviving the struggling sector.
Once handed over, the factories underwent major rehabilitation works worth about Ksh12.5 billion. The upgrades, which took close to nine months, reduced milling capacity during the period. Kwale Sugar, Chesire noted, also remained idle throughout 2025.
These disruptions saw national sugar production drop to 613,000 metric tonnes last year, against an estimated annual demand of 1.2 million metric tonnes. Chesire described the period as a necessary pause rather than a crisis.
“2025 was a transition year,” he said. “Production slowed so that we could rebuild the industry on a stronger and more sustainable foundation.”
With sugar consumption rising due to population growth, urban lifestyles and increased industrial use, Chesire said the government has prioritised market stability. Measures are already in place to keep sugar available, discourage hoarding and speculation, and shield consumers from sharp price swings as production recovers.
He added that farmers remain central to the recovery plan and that their long-term earnings were a key consideration in the decisions taken.
“The challenges we are seeing in late 2025 and early 2026 are temporary,” Chesire said. “The reforms are here to stay, and Kenyans can be assured that sugar supply will remain steady as the sector completes its recovery.”