President William Ruto has announced plans to import improved breeds of camels and buffaloes as the government seeks to address Kenya’s milk shortage by diversifying sources of production.
Speaking during the Agriculture and Food Security Summit at Jamhuri Park in Nairobi on Friday, October 9, Ruto said the government would explore alternative dairy animals beyond conventional cattle to boost milk supply.
The President revealed that he had instructed Agriculture Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke to facilitate the importation of improved camel breeds and buffaloes for milk production.
Ruto cited India as an example of a country where buffaloes are commercially milked, arguing that Kenya could adopt a similar approach to expand its dairy sector.
“I had directed the Agriculture PS to help us bring in a better breed of camel and bring another buffalo breed. Buffaloes also produce a lot of milk. In India there are buffaloes,” said Ruto.
“There is no problem in that. So PS Mueke, do as we had agreed. Bring in buffalo and also bring in a better breed of camel because we need to diversify our milk sources,” he added.
The Head of State also pointed to the high price of camel milk in Nairobi, saying the commodity could provide an additional source of dairy products while offering farmers an alternative market.
“Here in Nairobi, the camel's milk is about Ksh190 and is selling at almost Ksh200, beating cow's milk three times. We need to start thinking,” Ruto said.
He attributed the current milk shortage partly to drought conditions, arguing that improved camel breeds could help increase production and reduce reliance on conventional dairy cattle.
“Currently, we have a slight shortage of milk due to drought. Camels have more milk than cows. We will ensure we bring in a better breed,” Ruto stated.
Milk Shortage Pushes Prices Higher
The proposed intervention comes amid declining milk deliveries to processors, raising concerns about the stability of Kenya's dairy supply chain.
Formal milk deliveries fell from 84.4 million litres in June to 81.3 million litres in July 2026, before recording further declines in August and September.
The reduced supply has coincided with rising retail prices, with a 500ml packet of fresh milk in major urban centres, including Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, reportedly retailing at between Ksh75 and Ksh80, compared with the earlier range of Ksh60 to Ksh70.
The shortage has also affected how farmers sell their produce, with some reportedly supplying raw milk directly to neighbourhood customers and brokers instead of channelling it through formal cooperatives.
Ruto's proposed importation of improved camels and buffaloes signals a shift towards diversifying Kenya's milk production as the government seeks to respond to supply constraints and changing market conditions.
However, the impact of the plan will depend on the implementation of the proposed imports and the ability of farmers to adopt alternative dairy breeds for commercial production.
