President William Ruto has backed his economic adviser David Ndii’s explanation that increased milk consumption by newly employed workers, including those on affordable housing projects, is contributing to shortages in supermarkets.
Ruto said Kenya’s milk production had increased significantly, but the growing number of people earning an income had also raised demand for the commodity.
Speaking on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the president cited an increase in annual milk production from about 4.6 billion litres to approximately 5.5 billion litres in the previous year.
He also pointed to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics figures showing a 36 per cent increase in milk processing capacity.
Addressing concerns over why consumers were experiencing milk shortages despite higher production, Ruto referred to an explanation made by Ndii a day earlier.
“There are too many people now who can afford some tea and some milk because we have close to another two million people who are not working. Now they are working. 1.1 million of them are in the affordable housing space,” Ruto said.
He added that changing employment levels were also influencing consumption patterns in other sectors, including coffee and tea.
The president’s remarks came amid growing public debate over milk availability, with consumers questioning why supermarkets were experiencing stock-outs despite increased national production.
Ruto said the additional workers entering employment had increased the number of people able to afford basic household commodities.
He argued that the growth in employment, particularly through affordable housing construction, had changed consumption patterns.
The president said the same trend could be witnessed in other sectors as more Kenyans gained purchasing power.
Ndii had raised the issue on Tuesday during the 2026 NCBA Economic Forum in Nairobi, where he questioned claims that declining production was responsible for milk shortages.
Citing Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data, he pointed to an increase in milk production to approximately 5.6 billion litres and a 34 per cent rise in milk intake by processors.
“If there is no reduction in supply, and there is actually a very sharp increase in both production and the intake by processors, what can explain the stock-outs on the shelves?” Ndii posed.
He linked the increased demand to affordable housing construction sites, where contractors provide milk to workers as part of their daily provisions.
On Wednesday, Ndii shared a post on social media quoting a statement about how new ideas are eventually accepted after initially facing opposition.
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident,” he wrote.
However, the increase in annual production has coincided with a decline in formal milk deliveries to processors in recent months.
Data shows deliveries fell from 88.89 million litres in May to 75 million litres in August 2026, representing a decline of about 16 per cent.
The Kenya Dairy Board has attributed the drop mainly to drought conditions and pressure on animal feed, while other concerns have emerged over milk collection, processing and distribution.
Consumers have also faced higher prices, with fresh packaged milk recording a six per cent increase and ultra-high-temperature milk rising by eight per cent in September.
The developments have renewed debate over the factors affecting milk availability, including production levels, changing consumption patterns and the challenges facing the dairy supply chain.
Leave a Reply