Kenya’s dairy sector, which supports an estimated 1.8 million smallholder farmers and produces about 5.4 billion litres of milk annually, is facing supply challenges that have exposed gaps in collection and distribution.
Data from the Kenya Dairy Board and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that formal milk deliveries declined by 15.6 per cent between May and August 2026, representing a drop of 13.89 million litres.
The decline comes amid reports of milk shortages in supermarkets since September, raising concerns about the availability of processed milk despite the country’s substantial annual production.
According to the Livestock Principal Secretary, only about 30 per cent of milk produced in Kenya historically enters the formal market.
