Milk Prices Soar as Shortage Sends 500ml Packet Towards KSh90
The price of milk is surging across Kenya, with a 500ml packet now selling for as much as KSh90 in parts of Nairobi as dwindling supplies put fresh pressure on households and businesses.
A spot check found that consumers in Roysambu, Lower Kabete, Utawala and parts of Embakasi, including Pipeline, were paying around KSh90 for 500ml of milk.
In Pipeline, the squeeze has also hit hotels and restaurants. One outlet has raised the price of fresh milk to KSh110 per litre, up from KSh60, according to a price notice shared by the establishment.
The dramatic increase comes as milk deliveries fall sharply, leaving traders, hotels and milk ATM operators struggling to maintain supplies.
One hotel operator in Pipeline said daily milk deliveries had plunged from about 2,000 litres to just 500 litres, a fourfold reduction that has forced the business to cut purchases as wholesale prices continue to rise.
Milk ATM operators have also been caught in the squeeze, with reduced supplies, higher transport expenses and rising fuel costs pushing up their operating costs.
The price increases are not confined to Nairobi.
In Meru, a 500ml packet was reportedly selling for about KSh75, up from approximately KSh57, while in Kiambu the same quantity had risen to around KSh80, compared with about KSh52 previously.
The rising prices are also being felt in supermarkets, with some retailers reporting thinner deliveries and shortages of popular milk brands.
For hotels and restaurants, the impact extends beyond the price of milk itself. Businesses that depend heavily on fresh milk are facing higher costs for tea and other milk-based products, potentially increasing the prices passed on to customers.
Milk farmers in Nyandarua have meanwhile criticised the government over what they say are unfulfilled promises to support the dairy sector, as farmers contend with higher production costs and declining output.
The shortage has been linked to dry weather, expensive animal feed and reduced milk production in key dairy-producing regions.
The Kenya Dairy Board has described the disruption as temporary and seasonal, with supplies expected to improve as weather conditions change.
For consumers, however, the immediate impact is already being felt at the checkout, with the price of a basic household staple climbing rapidly across several parts of the country.
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