Kenya Sugar Board reassures consumers on stable sugar supply after KNBS data sparks price increase fears 

KENYA – The Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) has reassured consumers that sugar supply across the country remains stable, despite recent Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data that triggered concerns about possible price increases.  

In a notice issued on January 22, 2026, the Board said the national market is well supplied even as the industry navigates weather challenges, rising demand and ongoing reforms. 

“Recent economic indicators from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) have raised concerns over potential increases in sugar prices in supermarkets and shops countrywide. We wish to assure Kenyans that there is no cause for panic and continue buying sugar with confidence,” said KSB chief executive officer Jude Chesire. 

KSB disclosed that national sugar production in 2025 stood at 613,000 metric tonnes, covering about 61 percent of the country’s estimated demand of 1.2 million metric tonnes. This marked a decline from 815,000 metric tonnes produced in 2024, with the drop attributed to a combination of weather disruptions and the ongoing restructuring of the sector. 

“The reduced output was not caused by a single factor, but by a combination of weather stress, deliberate protection of future cane, and structural reforms designed to secure the long-term survival of the sugar industry,” Chesire explained. 

The Board said several operational issues also affected production, including a cane maturity profile that left large volumes of crops still developing, the temporary closure and rehabilitation of sugar factories, and dry conditions in major growing areas. 

“To ensure stability, the government and industry regulators have put in place market stabilisation measures to ensure sugar remains available, prices remain predictable, and consumers are protected from artificial shortages and speculation, even as production recovers and dry conditions persist in early 2026,” Chesire said. 

Farmers are a key part of the recovery strategy. KSB said programmes funded through the Kes 1.2 billion Sugar Development Levy are supporting cane development, expanding cultivation areas and introducing early-maturing varieties to boost future output. 

“Millions of tonnes of cane are already in the ground supported by millers, with harvesting and milling projected to resume strongly from October–November 2026, marking the beginning of a sustained rebound in domestic production,” Chesire added. 

The Kenya Sugar Board said the ongoing reforms are permanent and aimed at rebuilding the sector to meet both current and future demand, while assuring consumers that sugar prices will remain stable as the recovery progresses. 

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