• Kenya sugarcane farmers will get payments within seven days as KSB cracks down on weighbridge fraud and targets higher sugar production.

Kenya Sugarcane Farmers to Get Paid Within 7 Days as KSB Cracks Down on Weighbridge Fraud

Sugar millers will be required to pay sugarcane farmers within seven days of delivery or face penalties, including interest on delayed payments, as the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) steps up enforcement measures aimed at protecting growers and improving earnings across the sugar value chain.

The new measures seek to address long-standing challenges facing sugarcane farmers, including delayed payments, inaccurate weighing of cane and delays in harvesting and transporting mature cane from farms.

KSB Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire said the regulator is moving to enforce the seven-day payment requirement contained in farmer-miller contracts.

The move is expected to provide greater certainty for growers who have traditionally had to wait for extended periods after delivering their cane before receiving payment.

Under the new enforcement approach, millers that fail to meet the agreed payment timelines will face sanctions, including interest on outstanding payments.

KSB Moves Against Weighbridge Fraud

The sugar regulator is also intensifying the fight against weighbridge fraud, which has been identified as another major source of losses for sugarcane farmers.

According to KSB, some growers have reportedly lost up to three tonnes of cane per trailer because of discrepancies at weighing points.

Such losses directly reduce the amount farmers are paid despite the cane having already been produced, harvested and transported to the miller.

To strengthen independent verification, KSB is procuring mobile weighbridges that will allow the regulator to conduct its own checks on cane weights.

The Government has also invested in cane-testing units as the industry moves towards a payment system that takes into account cane quality and sugar content rather than relying entirely on the weight of harvested cane.

The shift is expected to encourage farmers to produce higher-quality cane while creating a more transparent basis for determining farmer payments.

Millers Ordered to Improve Cane Harvesting

KSB has also directed sugar millers to establish clear cane harvesting frameworks by September 10.

The frameworks are expected to improve coordination between farmers, harvesting teams, transporters and factories and reduce delays in moving mature cane from farms to mills.

Delayed harvesting can result in deterioration of mature cane, reducing its quality and potentially affecting farmers’ earnings.

The Government wants the sugar industry to improve the entire process from harvesting and transportation to weighing, milling and payment.

Kenya’s Sugar Production Rebounds

The tougher measures come as Kenya’s sugar industry records a significant recovery in domestic production.

Kenya produced 815,454 metric tonnes of sugar in 2024, the highest level recorded in recent years. Production stood at 611,576 metric tonnes in 2025, while output between January and July 2026 reached 528,875 metric tonnes.

Production has strengthened considerably in recent months.

Kenyan sugar factories produced 89,709 metric tonnes in June 2026 and a record 91,022 metric tonnes in July.

Despite the recovery, domestic production remains below national consumption.

Kenya’s annual sugar demand is estimated at about 1.2 million metric tonnes, comprising approximately one million tonnes of brown or table sugar and 200,000 tonnes of white refined sugar used mainly by industrial consumers.

National sugar consumption reached approximately 1.216 million metric tonnes in 2025.

The production gap continues to be filled through imports, mainly from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and East African Community (EAC) regions.

Kenya imported 477,551 metric tonnes of sugar in 2025. Between January and July 2026, the country imported another 65,081 metric tonnes of brown sugar.

Kenya Targets KSh30 Billion White Sugar Import Bill

One of the biggest opportunities identified by the Kenya Sugar Board is reducing the country’s dependence on imported white refined sugar.

KSB estimates that Kenya spends approximately KSh30 billion every year importing white refined sugar.

The Government believes a larger share of this money can remain within the Kenyan economy if the country expands sugarcane production and develops sufficient domestic refining capacity.

As part of the immediate response, Kenya has started refining imported raw sugar locally rather than depending entirely on imports of finished refined sugar.

Mombasa Sugar Refinery Limited, which has an installed refining capacity of approximately 150,000 metric tonnes per year, imported 27,839 metric tonnes of raw sugar and has commenced local refining.

KSB says safeguards have been put in place to prevent the imported raw sugar from entering the table-sugar market before undergoing the required refining process.

Government Wants More Cane and Higher Farmer Earnings

In the long term, however, the Government wants Kenya to produce more of its own sugarcane.

Through KSB, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is pushing for increased cane acreage, higher productivity, improved milling efficiency, greater value addition and expanded domestic refining capacity.

For farmers, the success of the strategy will ultimately depend on whether higher production translates into better and more predictable incomes.

Faster payments, accurate weighing and quality-based pricing are therefore becoming central to the Government’s efforts to reform the sugar industry.

The crackdown on weighbridge fraud and delayed payments also signals a wider shift towards making the sugar value chain more accountable, from the farm gate to the factory.

With production recovering but consumption still exceeding local supply, Kenya’s sugar industry faces a dual challenge: producing more cane while ensuring farmers receive fair and timely payment for what they produce.

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