NAIROBI, Kenya May 20 – The government has intensified its crackdown on milk hawking across the country, with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe warning that the sale of unregulated raw milk poses a serious public health risk and continues to undermine Kenya’s dairy industry.
Speaking during the flagging off of 25 bulk milk coolers at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, CS Kagwe said the government is now focused on improving milk quality, traceability and farmer earnings by strengthening organized dairy collection systems and reducing reliance on informal brokers.
He noted that millions of Kenyans consume milk that cannot be traced or tested, exposing families especially children to health risks, while denying farmers opportunities to benefit from value-added dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and milk powder.
“As part of the reforms, the Ministry is distributing 230 milk coolers worth KSh1.4B countrywide to reduce spoilage, stabilize prices and support dairy cooperatives,” Kagwe announced
The government is also rolling out subsidized sexed semen programmes, improving dairy genetics and promoting local production of animal feed to lower farming costs.
Kagwe said the reforms are aimed at transforming Kenya into a globally competitive dairy powerhouse while protecting farmers from unstable milk prices while creating jobs.