Kenya tightens milk trade rules as Kagwe targets informal sellers

Consumers buying milk from roadside vendors and informal traders may soon have fewer options after the government unveiled stricter measures aimed at removing unregulated milk sales from the market and strengthening control of the dairy value chain.

Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the country can no longer tolerate a system where large volumes of milk move outside approved handling and safety channels, warning that such practices put public health at risk and weaken formal dairy businesses.

Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday during the rollout of bulk milk coolers for dairy cooperatives, Kagwe said the reforms are designed to shift milk handling away from brokers and hawkers into organised and traceable systems supported by cooperatives and processors.

“Milk hawking must stop. It is dangerous, it is a health issue and it destroys the ability to create value-added dairy products,” Kagwe said.

He noted that many households continue to rely on milk sold in informal settings, where it is not possible to confirm whether it has been tested, cooled or handled under safe conditions. He warned that this exposes families, especially children, to health risks.

“If you have young children, feed them quality and traceable milk to avoid health issues such as diarrhoea,” he said.

The ministry says most informal milk flows through brokers who bypass cooling centres and inspection systems, making it difficult to track quality from farm to consumer. Officials argue that this has slowed the growth of processors and reduced farmers’ earnings from value-added dairy products.

Under the new framework, dairy cooperatives and processors will be required to keep detailed records showing milk origin, volumes supplied by farmers, and movement through collection and processing stages. The aim is to build a more controlled and transparent system.

The government is also scaling up investment in dairy infrastructure, including the distribution of 230 bulk milk coolers valued at about Sh1.43 billion to cooperatives across the country. The equipment is expected to reduce spoilage and push farmers to deliver milk through formal collection centres.

According to the ministry, 95 coolers have already been deployed, with the remaining units set for phased distribution in different counties.

A livestock officer from Kakamega said informal traders have remained active despite earlier attempts to regulate the sector, often selling directly to consumers without meeting required standards.

“Many brokers are selling milk directly to consumers. Milk coolers will help organise farmers and reduce hawking,” the official said.

Kagwe also highlighted additional reforms aimed at reducing production costs for dairy farmers, including efforts to increase local production of animal feed ingredients such as yellow maize and soya beans.

The ministry is further expanding access to subsidised sexed semen to improve herd quality and raise milk yields. The cost has been reduced from Sh9,000 to about Sh1,000, according to Kagwe.

At the same time, he raised concerns about livestock handling practices in some regions, saying poor animal care continues to limit productivity.

“Some farmers put cows in prison. The way we treat cows matters,” he said.

The government maintains that the reforms will improve milk safety, strengthen formal marketing systems, and increase earnings for farmers while protecting consumers from unsafe dairy products.