Kenyans should not expect a sharp jump in sugar prices, the Kenya Sugar Board has said, insisting the country’s sugar supply remains stable despite a dip in local production.
“The national sugar supply is secure, although production has fallen to 613,000 metric tonnes in 2025 compared to 815,000 metric tonnes in 2024,” said KSB in a statement issued Thursday, January 22.
The 2025 output met about 61 per cent of the country’s annual demand, currently estimated at about 1.2 million metric tonnes.
This assurance comes just months since the Kenya Kwanza administration announced in September 2024 that Kenya would stop importing sugar from outside regional trading blocs.
KSB said the production decline had been due to a combination of dry weather, industry reforms and efforts to preserve next year’s cane crop.
Supply of sugar to remain stable as factories reopen and the reforms take root.
The board explained that in 2024, a large portion of mature cane was harvested and left a lot of the remaining crop developing through 2025 a situation that forced several factories to go on pause.
This, according to KSB, led to the temporary closure of seven sugar factories in Lower and Upper Western to allow cane to mature fully, build higher sugar content, and support a strong sugar supply in the months ahead.
KSB also referred to the current rehabilitation and privatisation of ginneries owned by the State, adding that it also contributed to milling capacity reduction.
The board said four factories were shut down to allow leasing to private investors and renovations estimated at Ksh12.5 billion, limiting production for about nine months.
The weather was also poor late in 2025 and into 2026, besides, which slowed cane growth and reduced factory output in the period.
Nevertheless, KSB explained that these disruptions are temporary and that recovery measures have already been initiated, including mill upgrades and the introduction of early-maturing cane varieties in order to stabilize production.
Cushcaving the market and improving the supply of sugar, the government has unveiled a Ksh1.2 billion SDL meant to increase cultivation, improve yields, and enhance timely payment to farmers.
KSB Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire said reforms in the sector are meant to rebuild Kenya’s capacity to meet domestic demand and avoid the price shocks common in the past years.
“The government and industry regulators have put in place market stabilization measures to ensure sugar remains available, prices remain predictable, and consumers are protected against artificial shortages and speculation, even as production recovers and dry conditions persist into early 2026,” said Chesire.
He added that the country is already positioning itself for stronger output in the near future.
“Millions of tonnes of cane are already in the ground. with harvesting and milling projected to resume strongly from October-November 2026, marking the beginning of a sustained rebound in domestic production,” he noted.
While announcing the import restrictions for 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture had said that local production was improving and that the country could produce more than 800,000 metric tonnes annually. For now, according to KSB, the preoccupation remains maintaining the pace of sugar supply while recovery programmes and reforms help the sector pick up steam.
