The Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture has imposed a ban on importing milk powder and hawking milk to safeguard local dairy farmers and public health. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced the measures amid high domestic milk production and concerns over unfit imports causing illnesses in children. This follows a recent initiative to certify milk quality based on standards.
On November 2, 2025, the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture announced a nationwide ban on the importation of milk powder and all hawking of milk. The decision, led by Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, aims to protect local dairy farmers during a season of high milk production in the country.
Kagwe explained that the ban targets unlawful importers and hawkers who bring in unfit milk, resulting in health issues such as diarrhoea among children. "We also want to warn those unlawful importers of milk powder into the country that we have noticed what they are doing and we will make them stop," Kagwe stated. He added, "That is why we also banned the concept of milk hawking because mothers started complaining that their children were getting diarrhoea, and others were getting sick, and therefore that is why the milk industry should be properly regulated."
Milk powder, which is dehydrated milk with most water removed, serves as a non-perishable option for baking, cooking, and infant formula. Prior to the ban, Kenya sourced it from countries including Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Oman.
The announcement comes one month after Kagwe's September 30 reveal of the Good Quality Milk certification programme. This initiative will reward farmers with premium payments for high-quality milk, unlike substandard supplies. Kagwe highlighted aflatoxin-contaminated maize feeds as a primary cause of poor milk quality, with toxins passing directly into the product. "We must all produce good quality milk, and the farmer must be recognised for doing the right thing. It cannot be the same amount for bad and good. Those who produce better will earn better," he said.
These steps underscore efforts to regulate the dairy sector, ensuring safer consumption and fairer compensation for producers.