Cabinet Secretary Agriculture & Livestock Dev't

To all sugarcane growers: On 24th November, choose wisely. Above all, jitokeze na ujiwakilishe! 🫵🏾 Your voice, your vote, your representation.

We call upon every Kenyan to take pride in our coffee heritage and become an ambassador of our own coffee. We cannot ask the world to embrace and celebrate Kenyan coffee if we do not first embrace it ourselves.

Kenya produces some of the finest coffee in the world, renowned for its distinctive flavour, quality and origin. It is time we build a stronger domestic coffee culture by making Kenyan coffee our beverage of choice, supporting local producers, exploring its diverse flavours and proudly sharing its story.

The Kenya Coffee Flavor & Origin Expo provides an opportunity to celebrate this heritage, connect consumers with coffee growers and industry players, and deepen appreciation of what Kenya produces.

We encourage Kenyans, especially our young people, to attend the Expo from 14th to 16th November 2026 at Shamba Events Centre, Loresho, Nairobi.

Let us not leave the promotion of Kenyan coffee to international markets alone. Every Kenyan should be its first ambassador. Drink Kenyan coffee, promote Kenyan coffee and proudly tell the Kenyan coffee story.

KENYA’S SUGAR OUTPUT RISES 56.7%, 2KG PACKET PRICE FALLS KSH 32 AS CHESIRE BREAKS ISO LEADERSHIP DEADLOCK

Kenya produced 690,521T of sugar in the first nine months of 2026, a 56.7% increase from the same period last year, while average retail prices fell by KSh 16/kg compared with September 2025, bringing the equivalent cost of two kilograms down by KSh 32.

The improved national supply comes as @sugar_board CEO Mr. Jude Chesire, who chairs the @iso_sugar Council, helped resolve a leadership stalemate at the organisation a role Kenya is seeking to use to advance discussions on export markets, ethanol and investment in sugar processing.

Chesire initiated consultations among member states after three rounds of voting failed to produce a candidate with the required 2/3 majority for the Executive Director position.

The Council subsequently agreed that Devesh Devani of Mauritius would serve the first four year term, followed by Eduardo Leão de Sousa of Brazil for the succeeding four years.

The agreement followed inconclusive formal voting on September 22, 2026. It places Kenya in a convening role within the international sugar industry at a time when its domestic production is growing and attention is turning to how that growth can be sustained.

According to the Kenya Sugar Board CEO Jude Chesire, cumulative sugar production increased from 440,652T between January and September 2025 to 690,521T during the corresponding period in 2026. Kenya projects 900MT of sugar against a demand of 1M compared to a prpduction of 650,00MT last year.

That represents an additional 249,869T of locally produced sugar entering the national supply picture.

Factories processed 7.76M tonnes of sugarcane, compared with 4.97M tonnes a year earlier, an increase of 56.2%.

For consumers, the production gains coincided with lower retail prices compared with a year earlier, although the reduction was not uniform across outlets and counties.

The national average retail price stood at KSh 155/kg in September 2026, against KSh 171 in September 2025.

At those averages, two kilograms cost approximately KSh 310, compared with KSh 342 a year earlier. The KSh 32 difference offers some relief on a regularly purchased household commodity, particularly for families balancing food, transport and other daily expenses.

The national production increase was accompanied by a reduction in sugar imports.

Between January and September, Kenya imported 251,690T, compared with 364,486T during the same period in 2025, a decline of approximately 31%, or 112,796T.

The sharpest reduction was in mill white and brown sugar, whose imports fell by about 71% to 65,845T from 226,730T.

Refined white sugar imports, however, increased to 158,006 tonnes, from 137,756T. This indicates that the country’s supply challenge involves both the volume produced and the ability of local processors to meet demand for different sugar categories.

Local millers’ cumulative sales rose by 45.6% to 635,672T, compared with 436,593T in the first nine months of 2025.

Sugar stocks at the end of September stood at 70,773T, against 14,033T a year earlier, providing a larger inventory buffer than at the same point last year.

For cane-growing communities, the increased annual processing volumes mean more cane has passed through factories. Whether that translates into stronger household incomes also depends on farmers’ production costs, harvesting arrangements, cane prices and payment timelines.

Against that domestic backdrop, Chesire’s ISO role gives Kenya an opportunity to engage producing and consuming countries on market access, processing technology and diversification.

His intervention in the leadership dispute illustrates the practical function of the chairmanship: bringing member states together when formal voting fails to secure agreement.

It also gives Kenya a channel through which to build relationships before any substantial exportable surplus emerges.

KENYA INVESTS KSH18 BILLION IN FERTILISER SUBSIDY TO BOOST FOOD PRODUCTION

Kenya is stepping up efforts to strengthen food and nutrition security through increased investment in agricultural productivity, climate smart technologies and affordable farm inputs, with the Government committing KSh18B to the 2026/2027 National Fertiliser Subsidy Programme.

The investment, targeting 1.26M farmers, was highlighted during the 2026 World Food Day national celebrations held on Thursday at Tandare Integrated Agriculture Demonstration Centre in Laikipia County, under the theme “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.”

Speaking at the event, Ag Agriculture Secretary Mr James Wanjohi, representing CS Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, reaffirmed the Government's commitment to transforming food systems, increasing domestic production and ensuring every Kenyan has access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.

He said the fertiliser subsidy builds on a programme through which the Government has subsidised more than 38M bags since 2022, reducing the price from approximately KSh7,500 to KSh2,000 per bag.

Mr Wanjohi also highlighted the 50% subsidy on certified maize seed, which has reduced the price from KSh300 to KSh150 per kilogramme to encourage planting and cushion farmers against rising production costs.

He noted that the country's food security agenda goes beyond affordable inputs to include expanded irrigation, improved livestock breeds, agricultural research, digital innovation, stronger markets and climate-resilient farming practices.

On livestock development, he cited the nationwide vaccination campaign targeting 22M cattle, 23M sheep and 35M goats as part of efforts to protect animal health, improve productivity and strengthen pastoral livelihoods.

Mr. Wanjohi commended the strong working relationship between the National Government and Laikipia County Government, noting that collaboration between the two levels of government was critical to the successful implementation of agricultural programmes.

The celebrations brought together Laikipia Governor @GVNJoshuaIrungu, @FAO Representative Farayi Zimudzi, @IFAD Country Director Matteo Marchisio, farmers, development partners and other agricultural stakeholders.

The AS later presided over the recognition and awarding of outstanding farmers who excelled in various categories, acknowledging their contribution to agricultural productivity and food security.