The Ministry of Agriculture has announced that it will stop the importation of Sugar from regions that are outside the East African Community (EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
In a statement issued on Tuesday September 10, Agriculture CS Andrew Karanja stated that the average annual consumption of table sugar in Kenya is approximately 950,000 metric tons.
He added that the shortfall was met through imports from COMESA and EAC countries under existing trade protocols.
These imports are currently facilitated by sugar safeguards, which are set to expire in February 2025.
“This year, with improved local production leading to lower sugar prices, the import window for countries outside COMESA and EAC was not extended,” reads the statement in part.
“While sugar imports from these regions continue under existing trade protocols, the volumes have been lower due to unattractive low prices.”
Govt to Stop Importation of Sugar from Countries Outside EAC & COMESA
The Ministry said over the past four years, Kenya has produced approximately 700,000 metric tons of sugar annually from 16 factories, peaking at around 800,000 metric tons in 2022.
Also Read: KRA Goes After Sugarcane Farmers in New Tax Laws After Avocado Uproar
CS Karanja explained that due to similar drought conditions experienced in COMESA and EAC countries last year, Kenya temporarily allowed sugar imports from outside these regions to protect consumers from high prices.
Additionally, he revealed that there are challenges with illegal sugar smuggling through porous borders, which security agencies are addressing.
Extension of Importation Ban
This comes after the National Treasury in May extended the duty-free importation window for white and brown sugar from non-Comesa countries by two months.
Initially set to close on April 6, 2024, the extension was extended to run until June 30, 2024, allowing traders to import 250,000 tonnes of duty-free sugar to boost local supply and help reduce prices.
The extension followed a request from former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi, who urged the Treasury to prolong duty-free sugar imports to address a local production shortfall.
The CS projected a domestic sugar deficit of 192,000 tonnes for the first half of 2024, based on current production trends.
Also Read: KEBS Explains Why it Rejects White Sugar Imports
Kenya initially permitted the importation of 100,000 tonnes of duty-free sugar in January 2023, followed by an additional 180,000 tonnes in May.
However, as local production dropped due to a four-month ban on milling, the government allowed the importation of 290,000 tonnes in August and a further 250,000 tonnes in October.
Countries in EAC and COMESA
COMESA Member States are Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising eight Partner States comprises of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kenya.
Others are Rwanda, the Federal Republic of Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania with its headquarters located in Arusha, Tanzania.
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