Kenya has surpassed Egypt to become the largest producer of milk in Africa, according to Principal Secretary for Livestock Production Jonathan Mueke.
Speaking in an interview with NTV, Mueke revealed that Kenya’s milk output has risen from 4.6 billion litres to 5.4 billion litres, placing the country ahead of Egypt in continental rankings. “We always oscillate between Egypt and Kenya, and right now, we are ahead. We grew from about 4.6 billion litres to 5.4 billion litres right now,” he said.
The PS attributed the surge in production to government‑led interventions, including the mass livestock vaccination programme, which has reduced the prevalence of diseases such as foot‑and‑mouth.
“Since we started our mass vaccination exercise, fewer of our cattle are getting foot and mouth disease, and that way we can produce more. So, average production per cow has gone up by about three litres per cow per day,”
PS Jonathan Mueke
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He also credited the adoption of sexed semen technology, which allows farmers to produce female calves with 95 percent accuracy, thereby boosting dairy herd sizes. Initially costly at Ksh8,000 per dose, the technology’s uptake has accelerated following a presidential directive lowering the price to Ksh1,000, making it more accessible to farmers.
Mueke further highlighted the government’s subsidy on milk coolers, noting that the equipment has helped farmers reduce post‑harvest losses caused by milk’s high perishability. He said the initiative has strengthened value chains and improved incomes for smallholder producers.
The PS underscored that these combined measures- vaccination, sexed semen technology, and cold storage subsidies, have positioned Kenya as a continental leader in dairy production, while enhancing food security and farmer livelihoods.
By Frank Mugwe
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