Manufacturers Sound Alarm Over ‘Unsafe’ Sugar Flooding Kenyan Market as MPs Warn Consumers Could Be at Risk
Fresh fears have emerged over the safety of sugar sold across Kenya after local manufacturers warned Parliament that raw sugar intended strictly for industrial processing is increasingly finding its way onto supermarket shelves, raising concerns about consumer health and market regulation.
Industry stakeholders appeared before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives on Wednesday, August 5, where they urged lawmakers to tighten controls on sugar imports and crack down on what they described as growing loopholes that allow industrial raw sugar to be sold directly to consumers.
The manufacturers argued that imported raw sugar should only be brought into the country as a temporary measure to address supply shortages and to meet the needs of industries such as food processing, beverage manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and distilleries, where the product undergoes further refining before use.
“Raw sugar should only be allowed into the country as a short-term measure to address deficits and to cushion food, beverage, pharmaceutical and distillery industries that rely on industrial sugar,” a sugar mill owner from Busia told the committee.
The warning comes amid growing scrutiny of Kenya’s sugar importation system, with manufacturers insisting that internationally accepted standards require imported raw sugar to undergo refining before it can safely reach consumers.
According to the stakeholders, raw sugar contains impurities and is often transported in open containers because it is not designed for direct human consumption in its imported form.
“Global practice is to import raw sugar for refining before sale. Raw sugar contains impurities and is sometimes transported in open containers because it is not meant for direct human consumption unless refined,” another industry representative told MPs.
The manufacturers urged Parliament to ensure strict implementation of the Sugar Act, 2024, as well as tighter enforcement of import procedures overseen by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), saying stronger oversight would prevent industrial sugar from leaking into the retail market.
Beyond consumer safety concerns, the industry also warned that rising sugar imports are dealing a heavy blow to local manufacturers.
They argued that excessive imports have depressed domestic sugar prices, reduced sales for Kenyan millers and threatened thousands of jobs across the sector. The stakeholders further claimed that illegal or uncustomed sugar entering the country is denying the government significant tax revenue.
During the committee session, lawmakers questioned whether ordinary Kenyans have any practical way of distinguishing between refined table sugar and raw industrial sugar once the products reach retail shelves.
Industry representatives admitted that consumers are effectively unable to tell the difference, warning that this creates an opportunity for industrial sugar to be sold to unsuspecting buyers if regulatory controls fail.
The latest concerns revive a debate that surfaced earlier this year after Members of Parliament questioned the safety of 27,839 metric tonnes of imported sugar worth approximately Ksh1.5 billion that had been flagged as unsuitable for direct human consumption.
During a meeting with officials from the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) in May, legislators sought explanations over the consignment imported by Mombasa Sugar Refinery Limited, after the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) reportedly determined that it met standards only for raw sugar intended for further refining.
MPs expressed concern that the consignment could eventually find its way into the consumer market, citing previous incidents where products declared unsafe were allegedly diverted into retail outlets despite regulatory restrictions.
The renewed warnings are expected to intensify pressure on the government to strengthen oversight of sugar imports, as Parliament weighs measures aimed at protecting consumers, safeguarding local manufacturers and restoring confidence in Kenya’s sugar industry.
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