NAIROBI, Kenya- President William Ruto has defended his economic adviser David Ndii over his explanation for milk shortages in parts of the country, arguing that increased demand rather than falling production is behind empty shelves in some shops and supermarkets.
Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, President Ruto said official statistics showed milk production had risen by 36 per cent.
“I saw the statistics yesterday. We have a 36 per cent increase in milk production,” President Ruto said.
He supported Ndii’s assertion that more Kenyans can now afford milk, leading to a rise in consumption that has placed pressure on supplies reaching retail outlets.
“My friend answered it well yesterday. There are too many people who can afford milk,” the President said.
Ruto links demand to housing workers
President Ruto also pointed to workers engaged in affordable housing projects, saying their consumption was contributing to increased demand.
“Many of them are working. 1.1 million of them are in the affordable housing; that is how things change,” he said.
His remarks back Ndii, who had said the country was not experiencing a fall in total milk production but a sharp increase in demand from households and workers.
Ndii argued that improved purchasing power, including among workers at affordable housing construction sites, had created pressure on milk available to processors, supermarkets and smaller retailers.
He said workers at some construction sites were being supplied with milk as part of daily provisions, increasing demand beyond the usual household market.
Drought and fodder pressure
However, the Kenya Dairy Board and livestock officials have attributed the shortage of packaged fresh milk in major towns largely to dry conditions, reduced pasture and rising animal-feed costs.
Government data showed formal milk deliveries to processors fell from 84.4 million litres in June to 81.3 million litres in July, a 3.7 per cent decline.
Preliminary data pointed to continued pressure on supplies in August, with fresh pasteurised milk more affected than long-life varieties.
The shortage has been felt most sharply in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu, where some supermarkets have reported low stocks, fewer milk brands and delayed deliveries.
Retail prices have also risen in some outlets, with consumers paying more for both fresh and long-life milk.
The Kenya Dairy Board says the constraints are temporary and could ease if rainfall improves, restoring pasture and fodder in key dairy-producing regions.
Demand versus supply debate
The disagreement has highlighted the difference between overall national milk output and the volume of milk reaching formal processors and retail shelves.
While President Ruto and Ndii maintain that higher demand is straining available supplies, dairy regulators and farmers say weather conditions, feed costs, delayed processor payments and distribution challenges are also affecting the formal milk market.
President Ruto’s defence of Ndii is likely to deepen the public debate over why consumers are struggling to find milk in some shops despite government claims that national production is rising.
For households facing higher prices and limited options on supermarket shelves, the key question remains when supply will stabilise.
