NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 31 – Kenyan consumers are facing renewed pressure on milk prices after formal-sector milk deliveries declined in June, with the Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) calling for urgent government measures to prevent further shortages and price increases.

📻 Breaking It Down

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that milk intake by processors and other formal-sector players fell by 5 percent to 84.44 million litres in June 2026, from 88.89 million litres in May.

The June intake was also 6.4 percent lower than the 90.24 million litres recorded in the same month last year, pointing to growing pressure on the formal dairy supply chain.

COFEK Secretary-General Stephen Mutoro said the figures should prompt the government to provide a clear picture of what is happening in the dairy sector, particularly as consumers begin to experience higher prices and intermittent shortages.

📌 What You Need to Know

“Consumers are entitled to a clear, evidence-based account of the true state of the sector.”

The federation said the situation is already being felt in Nairobi, where some retailers have started rationing milk purchases while prices of fresh milk have risen.

At Waithaka Dairy Centre, for example, the federation said the price of a liter of fresh milk had increased from Sh70 to Sh80. It also reported intermittent shortages of branded packaged milk in supermarkets.

The squeeze is being compounded by difficulties facing smallholder farmers, who account for about 80 percent of Kenya’s milk supply, according to COFEK.

The federation said farmers in some areas are reporting daily yields falling from between seven and nine litres per cow to four to five litres, as delayed rains weaken pasture availability.

Commercial feed costs have also risen by about 45 percent, increasing the cost of maintaining dairy herds.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya