Gov't moves to dismantle milk hawking networks in dairy sector reforms

The government has launched a major crackdown on milk hawking across the country, declaring the unregulated sale of raw milk a danger to public health and a major obstacle to Kenya’s dairy industry growth.

Speaking during the flagging off of 25 bulk milk coolers at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe delivered one of the strongest warnings yet against brokers and hawkers selling milk directly to consumers, saying the practice must come to an end.

“Milk hawking must stop. It is dangerous, it is a health issue and it destroys the ability to create value-added dairy products,” CS Kagwe declared.

The CS warned that millions of Kenyans are consuming milk that cannot be traced, tested or guaranteed safe, exposing families especially children to diseases and contamination.

“If you have young children, feed them quality and traceable milk to avoid health issues such as diarrhea,” he said.

The hardline stance signals a major policy shift as the government moves to tighten control over Kenya’s booming dairy sector, which remains heavily dominated by informal milk traders operating outside regulated systems.

CS Kagwe accused milk hawking networks of undermining processors, weakening cooperatives and denying farmers better earnings from processed dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and milk powder.

Under the reforms, processors and cooperatives will now be expected to strengthen traceability systems by identifying farmers, their production levels and the source of every litre supplied to the market.

The government believes this will not only improve food safety but also dismantle the dominance of middlemen who buy and resell raw milk without quality checks.

The crackdown comes as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development continues with the distribution of 230 milk coolers countrywide worth Ksh.1.43 billion dairy support programme.

The ministry says the coolers are meant to reduce spoilage, stabilize prices and draw farmers away from hawkers toward organized collection systems.

Already, 95 coolers have been deployed, with the remaining units expected to reach dairy cooperatives across the country in phases.

A livestock Chief Officer from Kakamega County admitted that brokers selling milk directly to consumers have weakened formal dairy channels and frustrated quality control efforts.

“Many brokers are selling milk directly to consumers. Milk coolers will help organize farmers and reduce hawking,” the official said.

Milk cooperative leaders from Machakos County meanwhile called for improved dairy breeds to increase production as the country pushes for higher milk output and export competitiveness.

CS Kagwe said the reforms are designed to ensure Kenya does not just remain Africa’s largest milk producer, but becomes a global dairy powerhouse capable of exporting milk powder while protecting farmers from price crashes during periods of excess production.

“We want to make sure there is no milk pricing coming down. Rain seasons and dry seasons should not destabilize farmers,” he said.

The CS also announced aggressive measures to reduce production costs by encouraging local cultivation of yellow maize and soya beans for animal feed through government-supported leasing programmes.

At the same time, the government is accelerating dairy genetics reforms through subsidized sexed semen programmes aimed at increasing the number of high-quality dairy cows.

The subsidy has reduced the cost of sexed semen from Ksh.9,000 to Ksh.1,000, a move the ministry says will transform milk productivity at the farm level.

CS Kagwe also took issue with poor animal welfare practices in some parts of the country, criticizing farmers who confine cows in cramped structures with little movement or proper care.

“Some farmers put cows in prison. The way we treat cows matters,” he said.

With thousands of jobs expected to emerge around milk cooling, transport, veterinary services and dairy processing, the government says the war on milk hawking is not just about enforcement but about restructuring the entire dairy economy around quality, traceability and farmer profitability.