Uganda’s hopes to export sugar to Kenya continue to fade as Kenya is trying to increase sugar production and the blocking of Uganda’s sugar continues.
The Agriculture Ministry of Kenya has reported that the domestic sugar production in the country has increased by 37% in one year owing to the increase in the investment in the sugar sector by the government as well as private players. The sugar output has increased to 603,788 tonnes compared to 440,935 tonnes in 2019.
According to the media report, Uganda had been hoping to resume sugar exports to one of its biggest trade partners due to a large production deficit but indications suggest otherwise, with Kenya failing to conduct a verification exercise that had been expected in December last year.
Jim Kabeho, chairman, Uganda Sugar Manufacturers Association said, “We are kept in dark about the developments. We were told that the Kenyan authorities would send a team to do verification in January but it was postponed to February but now we don’t know when they will be coming.”
Kenya had initiated the verification drive after complaints poured in about the exporters from Uganda dumping cheap sugar in the country that had created problems for local producers.
