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Kenya: KAM Unveils Plan to Revive Sugar Industry

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4 years ago

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Nairobi — Kenya Association of Manufacturers has today called for the revival of the sugar industry.

This was during the launch of the KAM Sugar Sub-Sector Strategic Plan, which seeks to guide the industry’s growth, resilience and sustainability.

Speaking during the launch, Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development Chief Administrative Secretary Dr Lawrence Karanja, noted that Government remains committed to reviving the sugar industry.

“We remain cognizant of the headwinds to the Sugar Industry’s headwinds to growth. As such, we reaffirm our commitment to developing solutions, to enhance the Kenyan Sugar Industry’s competitiveness. Remedying these solutions requires a multisectoral approach. This is why we continue to partner with different Ministries and Agencies, to regulate the sub-sector, control sugar imports as well as develop and promote sugarcane value chains. For instance, we are currently implementing the findings of the Sugar

Taskforce report, as part of combined efforts to revive the sugar sector,” explained Dr Karanja.

KAM Chair, Mucai Kunyiha highlighted that the sugar industry continues to face challenges that hinder its revival, and eventual growth.

“Limited research and development, excess sugar importation, weak regulatory mechanisms and sugar dumping hinder the industry’s effectiveness as an economic and social catalyst. Consequently, this has led to inadequate total production, and eventually difficulties in meeting market demand. It is therefore critical that we turn around the sugar industry, to make it competitive – locally, regionally and internationally,” said Kunyiha.