This archive report was first published on 15 January 2020.
Kenya's dairy sector is facing a crisis, with local farmers struggling to compete with cheap imports. In a bid to save the industry, stakeholders are calling on authorities to implement President Uhuru Kenyatta's directives on milk imports.
On Tuesday, the President ordered the Treasury to impose a 16 percent tax on milk products from outside the East African Community and instructed the Kenya Bureau of Standards and police to impound counterfeit milk.
The move is aimed at protecting local dairy farmers, who are being disadvantaged by cheap imports. According to Meru Dairy Cooperative Union executive officer Kenneth Gitonga, Kenya produces about 5.2 billion litres of milk annually, while Uganda produces 2.5 billion litres.
Gitonga alleged that milk products suspected to be imported from Europe and elsewhere are being smuggled into Kenya through Uganda, where they are packaged and sold as local products.
“It appears that the product is being imported from countries outside the EAC and being dumped in the region where it is packaged,” Gitonga said, adding that the President's directives should be implemented to save the farmers.
