This archive report was first published on 5 July 2020.
Kenya's reliance on imported palm oil from Indonesia has led to a call for the government to support the cultivation of palm trees for domestic production. According to Maalim Ahmed Osman, Director of Salwa Kenya Limited in Kilifi, this move could boost local production and processing of palm oil.
Osman pointed to Uganda as a successful example, where the private sector responded to a government request to support local oil production, reducing the country's dependence on imported oil.
Uganda has established a Vegetable Oil Development Fund to support investment in oil production, which has helped local institutions build capacity for research, promotion, and natural resource management, Osman noted.
Salwa Kenya Ltd was recently awarded the Diamond Mark of Quality by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) in Mombasa, with Kebs Coast Region Manager Cyrus Wambui urging the company to use the quality mark to market its goods.
