Kenyan factories crushed 7.76 million tonnes of sugarcane between January and September 2026, up sharply from 4.97 million tonnes a year earlier. The extra cane translated into 690,521 tonnes of sugar, a 56.7 per cent increase from the 440,652 tonnes recorded in the same months of 2025.
Kenya Sugar Board Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire shared the figures on Friday while in London for a meeting of the International Sugar Organisation (ISO) Council.
Output still below demand
Production is still short of what households and industry consume. Kenya expects to close this year at 900,000 metric tonnes, against annual demand of about one million tonnes and last year’s output of 650,000 metric tonnes.
Mr Chesire expects the gap to close next year, when he says the country will start building surpluses for export. He argues that Kenya needs the ISO as a platform for finding buyers.
Mr Chesire chairs the ISO Council and stepped in when its members could not agree on a new Executive Director. Three ballots ended without any candidate reaching the required two-thirds majority, with the last formal vote held on September 22, 2026.
He then held talks with member states, which produced a deal to share the job. Devesh Devani of Mauritius will take the first four-year term, followed by Eduardo Leão de Sousa of Brazil for another four years.
Beyond new markets, Mr Chesire wants Kenya to learn from other producers on processing technology and diversification. He said discussions on ethanol and biofuels are picking up, and that Kenya intends to study Brazil closely.
Imports fall
Trade data shows how the domestic gains are playing out. Imports over the nine months fell by about 31 per cent, to 251,690 tonnes from 364,486 tonnes, a drop of 112,796 tonnes.
Mill white and brown sugar accounted for most of the reduction, with purchases down about 71 per cent to 65,845 tonnes from 226,730 tonnes. Imports of refined white sugar rose to 158,006 tonnes from 137,756 tonnes, indicating that local mills cannot yet supply every grade buyers want.
Stocks and exports
Stocks at the end of September stood at 70,773 tonnes, well above the 14,033 tonnes held a year earlier. Exports also edged up to 315.57 tonnes from 244.80 tonnes.
Consumers are feeling some of the change. The average national price of a kilogramme of sugar fell to Sh155 in September from Sh171 in the same month of 2025. That brings the cost of two kilogrammes down from about Sh342 to about Sh310, a saving of Sh32. Prices still vary between shops and counties.
By Benedict Aoya
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