Dairy Battle: Ruto’s New Move Against Imported Powdered Milk
President William Ruto has instructed the Kenya Dairy Board to close any gaps exploited by entrepreneurs for the importation of powdered milk into the nation.
While addressing the audience at the inauguration of the upgraded Kiganjo Factory of the Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) in Nyeri County, Deputy President Ruto alleged on Tuesday, August 8, that within the milk sector, certain groups were exploiting the licenses granted by the regulatory board to import powdered milk.
He cautioned KCC about advocating for the companies, emphasizing that their main duty was to safeguard the local market.
The Kenya Dairy Board, a governmental regulatory agency, is responsible for granting licenses to milk vendors, which includes permits for imports. Additionally, it conducts assessments on the quality of milk items within the nation.
“For the last couple of years, they have been bringing nearly 100 million liters of powdered milk yearly. They only buy a little from our farmers and then add more powder,” Ruto disclosed.
“Going forward, we must protect our local production, and we have put plans in place to ensure that our farmers benefit,” he added.
The leader of the nation stated that it is possible to strengthen the farmers within the country so that the local production of milk powder by companies becomes achievable.
Nevertheless, he remained cautious regarding the identities of the firms and individuals implicated, choosing not to engage in a public confrontation with milk sector traders. Nevertheless, he restated that the alleged businesses brought in powdered milk through Uganda.
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“I do not want to mention any names. I mentioned some countries recently, and I got into some problems,” the Head of State, cautious of the sensitivity of the matter, which affects both trade and diplomacy, stated.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua expressed that the government was aiming to collaborate with fellow East African Community (EAC) leaders to jointly address the issue of entrepreneurs bringing powdered substances into Kenya.
“We will sit with our neighbors and tell them that we respect the EAC regulations but we must have an understanding that the milk should be from your farms,” he disclosed.
During a conversation on Inooro TV on Sunday, August 6th, Ruto revealed that Kenya has already made contact with other East African Community (EAC) nations to initiate discussions about regulating the industry.
Gachagua, speaking in Kiganjo, added that they recently overhauled the dairy board, which he claimed was taken captive by state capture.
“In some neighboring countries, some of the cartels have taken advantage of the EAC treaties. They go and import milk from Europe and then process the powder in the EAC countries before bringing them here,” Gachagua stated.
In related occurrences, law enforcement confiscated 16 tons of powdered milk that were undergoing repackaging and rebranding at a storage facility in Eastleigh on Saturday, August 5th. This action was part of the government’s intensified efforts to regulate the milk industry.
Dairy Battle: Ruto’s New Move Against Imported Powdered Milk
