Kenya explores new sugar import protections after Comesa safeguard ends
Kenya is considering quota arrangements and export diversification with Comesa members as it seeks to protect local sugar producers from cheaper regional imports.
KENYA – Kenya is exploring alternative measures to protect its domestic sugar industry after its 24-year sugar safeguard regime ended, amid concerns over cheaper Comesa imports.
The regime lapsed November 30, 2025, ending quotas on sugar from the 21-member bloc. Kenya is considering engagement with the Comesa secretariat to protect the local sugar sector.
Investment, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the government was seeking a “win-win” arrangement that would protect local producers while maintaining Comesa trade.
“There are countries that have more established industries so that simply means that their cost of production is much lower than ours. If we allowed a free run, it would ‘whitewash’ us. So, we are trying to look for a win-win situation. That is work in progress,” Kinyanjui told The EastAfrican.
He said Kenya was considering quota arrangements with major Comesa sugar producers, but no decision had been made.
“Not all countries in Comesa produce sugar. Uganda is now turning out to be a major sugar-manufacturing country. May be to look for possibility of having a quota arrangement, but we have not made any decision. We are reviewing to look at the impact of Kenya’s sugar industry vis-a-vis our Comesa engagement.”
Kinyanjui said Comesa countries could diversify exports, including to markets outside the region.
“As a country we have to establish our volumes, then after establishing our volumes we project what kind of deficit or surplus we have and how we will work on it,” he said. “It is not good for me to pre-empt what we are likely to do because sugar is a global commodity.”
Comesa opposed extending Kenya’s safeguards. The arrangement permitted Kenya to import up to 350,000 tonnes annually from Comesa.
Introduced in 2001 and renewed eight times, the safeguards protected Kenya’s high-cost sugar industry during reforms.
Kinyanjui said reforms had advanced after public mills were leased in May 2025.
“The remaining condition for the extension of the safeguards was divestiture from public mills, and you are aware that it has now been achieved after we leased out the mills in May (2025),” he said.
“Considering the divestiture, the mills are now more efficient and we also have two mills coming into operation in March (2026). I’m confident that we are on course to attain domestic self-sufficiency in about two years.”
The review will assess Kenya’s production and Comesa engagement as it adjusts to the end of the safeguards.
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