Browsing: Kenyan Sugar sector

Out of 55 countries in Africa, 33 are engaged in sugar production. There are 16 sugar factories in Kenya, of which only 12 are operational. The government owns five of these while seven are privately owned making up a sector that collectively supports more than eight million Kenyans. 

This sector has a high potential, but continues to take serious beating from various factors that stifle it. The country produces about 600,000 tonnes a year, but it is not enough for local consumption, a situation that has pushed Betty Maina, the Cabinet Secretary for Industry, Trade and Enterprise Development to announce plans to import 90,000 tonnes of sugar from Uganda to bridge the deficit, the reason why the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has called for the revival of the sugar industry.…