Kenya sugar production jumps 56.7% to 690,521 tonnes
Domestic supply improved and imports declined, leading to lower retail prices for sugar.
Kenya's sugar production surged by 56.7% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 690,521 tonnes. This increase, an additional 249,869 tonnes from the same period in 2025, was driven by improved domestic supply and reduced imports. Local millers also recorded higher sales, processing 7.76 million tonnes of sugarcane, a 56.2% rise from the previous year.
The national average retail sugar price dropped to Sh155 per kilogramme in September 2026, down from Sh171 in September 2025. Sugar imports fell by 31% to 251,690 tonnes, while local millers' sales increased by 45.6% to 635,672 tonnes. Sugar stocks at the end of September stood at 70,773 tonnes, a significant rise from 14,033 tonnes a year earlier.
Kenya Sugar Board Chief Executive Jude Chesire is helping resolve a leadership stalemate at the International Sugar Organization, which he believes will create export market opportunities. Kenya projects 900,000 tonnes production against one million tonnes consumption, aiming for export surpluses by next year. The country is also exploring cooperation with Brazil on biofuels and ethanol production, with molasses output up 62.1%.
Why it mattersKenyan farmers and consumers will benefit from increased sugar production, lower prices, and potential new markets for exports and biofuels.