Nairobi: Kenya’s Parliament is considering new legislation to regulate sugar imports amid concerns that rising inflows of cheaper sugar are putting pressure on domestic millers and sugarcane farmers, reported The Star.
The National Assembly’s Committee on Trade and Industry is consulting farmers, millers, workers and other stakeholders across the country’s sugar-producing regions as it works towards a proposed legal framework for imports.
Committee chairman Bernard Shinali said the consultations would help lawmakers understand the challenges facing the sector and formulate measures to protect locally produced sugar and cane.
Kenya already regulates sugar imports under the Sugar Act 2024 and the Sugar (Imports and Exports) Regulations 2025, alongside an import licence freeze imposed by the Ministry of Agriculture. However, farmers and industry representatives have continued to raise concerns about imported sugar entering the domestic market.
During a meeting at Nzoia Sugar Company in Bungoma, stakeholders alleged that increased sugar imports from neighbouring Uganda were putting additional pressure on prices of locally produced sugar. They called for tighter controls on imports and measures to address persistent problems faced by cane growers, including delays in payments for cane supplied to mills.
Shinali said the committee was also examining the quality and standards of locally produced sugar as part of its tour of the sugar belt.
Funyula MP Oundo Mudenyo said the ongoing efforts to revive Kenya’s sugar sector were encouraging but required further government intervention. He highlighted delayed payments to workers released from sugar companies as one of the issues affecting the restructuring process.
Mudenyo also called for local sugar stocks to be assessed before import approvals are granted, arguing that authorities should establish the quantity of sugar available domestically to prevent millers from accumulating unsold stocks while imports continue to enter the market.
Kanduyi MP John Makali said the consultations were providing lawmakers with an opportunity to hear directly from farmers, workers and other industry participants.
George Muruli, head of external affairs and communication at Rai Group of Companies, urged farmers to continue investing in sugarcane production. He said the company had considered recommendations from farmers and other stakeholders and stressed that continued cooperation between millers, growers and the government would be important for restoring confidence in the sector.
