The Kenyan government has opened a special import window for raw sugar to mitigate a critical nationwide shortage, with Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui announcing the measure on Thursday, August 28. This move addresses a significant deficit crippling the sugar industry and aims to support various sectors reliant on industrial sugar.

• A deficit of 400,000 metric tonnes of raw sugar is currently facing Kenya.
• Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui stated that the Kibos and Allied Industries factory, costing over Ksh2 billion to set up, has been non-operational since 2016 due to the shortage.
• The import window is temporary, targeting self-sufficiency within two to three years through increased cane production in collaboration with farmers and county governments.