Kenya’s Jude Chesire makes history as first African ISO Chairman for 2026
Election crowns Kenya’s sugar revival: 76% output jump and mill privatisation earn global leadership role.
KENYA – Jude Chesire, Chief Executive of the Kenya Sugar Board, has been elected Chairman of the International Sugar Organization (ISO) Council for 2026, becoming the first Kenyan and the first African to head the global sugar body.
He will succeed Costa Rica’s Edgar Herrera next year in a development hailed across the continent as a landmark achievement for African agriculture.
The appointment coincides with Africa’s growing prominence in sugar production and trade, while spotlighting Kenya’s successful sector turnaround.
Under Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, Chesire has been instrumental in implementing far-reaching reforms that reversed years of decline.
Four public mills: Sony, Muhoroni, Chemelil, and Nzoia, were leased to private operators, attracting fresh capital and operational expertise. The changes have seen a 76 percent surge in national sugar production, expanded sugarcane area by 47,123 hectares, and lifted cane prices from Kes 4,350 (US$33.67) to Kes 5,750 (US$44.50) per tonne.
The revitalised industry now sustains 250,000 direct jobs and supports livelihoods for nearly six million people, establishing itself as a cornerstone of Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
As ISO Chairman, Chesire will lead the selection process for a new Executive Director to replace Jose Orive of Guatemala, whose 13-year term ends in December 2026.
He will also oversee a comprehensive rewrite of the organisation’s constitution and chair discussions on critical issues including global price stability, sustainability certification, bioethanol promotion, carbon-credit mechanisms, and reduction of trade barriers.
Chesire’s election alongside Côte d’Ivoire’s Ambassador Ali Touré as Vice Chairman represents the strongest African leadership presence in ISO history.
Stakeholders describe the dual appointments as international validation of Kenya’s reform model and a platform for the country to shape policies affecting one of the world’s most traded agricultural commodities.
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