Kenya's sugar output up 56.7% to 690,521 tonnes in nine months; 2kg price down KSh32

Kenya produced 690,521 tonnes of sugar in the first nine months of 2026, up 56.7% from 440,652 tonnes in the same period of 2025, and the national average retail price of sugar fell to KSh155 a kilogram in September from KSh171 a year earlier. The production figures come from the Kenya Sugar Board.

Factories processed 7.76 million tonnes of sugarcane between January and September, up 56.2% from 4.97 million tonnes in the same months of 2025.

At KSh155 a kilogram, a 2kg packet costs about KSh310, against about KSh342 in September 2025, a fall of KSh32. The fall has not been uniform across outlets and counties.

Millers' cumulative sales rose 45.6% to 635,672 tonnes from 436,593 tonnes. Stocks at the end of September were 70,773 tonnes, against 14,033 tonnes a year earlier.

Total sugar imports fell about 31% to 251,690 tonnes from 364,486 tonnes. Imports of mill white and brown sugar dropped about 71% to 65,845 tonnes from 226,730 tonnes.

Imports of refined white sugar went the other way, rising to 158,006 tonnes from 137,756 tonnes.

Molasses production rose 62.1% to 307,617 tonnes from 189,809 tonnes. Molasses stocks at the end of September were 65,384 tonnes, against 12,735 tonnes a year earlier.

Kenya Sugar Board chief executive Jude Chesire said the country expects to start building surpluses for export in 2027. He also said talks on biofuel and ethanol production had begun, and named Brazil as a country Kenya wants to learn from.