Government orders all sugar re-packagers to register by November 17 to curb substandard products

All individuals and companies involved in sugar re-packaging have been ordered to register by November 17, 2025, as part of new measures to strengthen regulation and protect consumers from substandard products.

The Kenya Sugar Board said the registration will help enhance traceability, tighten quality control and curb the sale of adulterated sugar in the market.

In a public notice, the Board invoked powers under Section 61 of the Sugar Act, 2024, and the Sugar (General) Regulations, 2025, directing that every entity engaged in re-packaging sugar for retail must comply with the new requirements.

The Board explained that the registration drive is intended to improve oversight of sugar products in circulation and to reinforce regulatory measures to ensure consumer safety amid growing concerns about food quality standards.

“All sugar re-packaging entities are required to register with the Board,” reads the notice, adding that the process will enable tighter monitoring and enforcement of sugar quality regulations.

According to the Board, applicants will be required to submit their details and supporting documents through its online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) portal at imis.ksb.go.ke. It emphasised that only firms meeting the prescribed standards and documentation guidelines will be approved.

The Kenya Sugar Board said the initiative is part of the government’s broader effort to intensify oversight of the sugar value chain—from production to retail, to eliminate illicit trade, protect farmers, and ensure that consumers have access to properly certified products.

The directive comes as the government steps up efforts to regulate the entire sugar value chain, from production to retail, in a bid to eliminate illicit trade, protect farmers and ensure that consumers have access to properly certified products.

Kenya’s sugar industry has recently faced significant challenges, with data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) showing a sharp drop in production. Between January and August 2025, local factories produced 406,807 tonnes of sugar, a 24.89 per cent decline from 541,681 tonnes recorded during the same period in 2024.

The production slump was attributed to a severe shortage of mature sugarcane following overharvesting in previous seasons and reduced cultivation. The shortage forced the Kenya Sugar Board to order the temporary closure of several factories in key sugarcane-growing regions for three months starting July 14, 2025, to curb the milling of immature cane.

The shutdown affected seven factories, including Mumias, Butali, and West Kenya in Kakamega; Nzoia and Naitiri in Bungoma and the Busia Sugar Industry and Olepito in Busia County. The closure targeted mills lacking adequate mature cane and those implicated in cane poaching, where millers harvested younger crops, aged between 10 and 13 months, instead of the recommended 16 to 18 months required for optimal sucrose development.

Sucrose, the natural sugar extracted from mature cane, is critical for producing sugar crystals. To cushion the impact of the milling suspension and bridge the supply gap, the government increased duty-free sugar imports to stabilise local prices.

KNBS data further shows that sugar production reached its lowest point in May 2025, when factories produced only 32,760 tonnes.

Output later improved slightly to 40,800 tonnes by August. Cane deliveries also fell from 501,604 tonnes in July to 465,981 tonnes in August, reflecting the continued strain on cane availability.

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