Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has announced that the government will not issue any new sugar import licences, citing sufficient local production to meet national demand.
Speaking at Kilimo House on Thursday during a consultative meeting with sugarcane farmers, Kagwe said the ban on sugar imports remains in force as the administration shifts focus to strengthening the domestic industry.
Local production is now able to satisfy our needs. We must protect our farmers from unfair competition
MUTAHI KAGWE
The CS said the decision aims to stabilize cane prices, reduce dumping, and create a predictable market for farmers who have for years complained of cheap imports undercutting their earnings.
He added that milling capacity and factory reforms undertaken in the last year have improved output and shortened processing times.
Farmers welcomed the move, noting that timely payments and better factory management have already boosted morale in cane-growing zones. Kagwe urged millers to honor contracts and pay farmers on time, warning that the ministry will monitor compliance closely.
He said the government will instead support value addition, expand irrigation, and provide subsidized inputs to sustain supply and keep retail sugar prices affordable for consumers.
