NAIROBI, Kenya—Agribusiness firm Kakuzi has urged stakeholders in Kenya’s macadamia sector to adopt a collaborative approach to boost local consumption and value addition.
Speaking at the National Macadamia Conference hosted at Embu University, Kakuzi’s General Manager for Macadamia Operations, Mathias Muinde, decried the low domestic consumption levels, which stand at less than 5% of the national output despite Kenya producing over 63,000 metric tons annually.
“Kenyans consume under 3,000 metric tons of macadamia, a figure we must urgently work to double,” said Muinde.
“We’re calling on stakeholders from farmers to processors to embrace value addition, including products such as cold-pressed oil, roasted nuts, gluten-free flour, and even biomass fuel from shells, to drive local demand.”
Kakuzi, which is Kenya’s largest single-estate macadamia grower in Kenya says it has already implemented value addition strategies to reach domestic and international markets.
These include the production of edible macadamia oil, roasted snack nuts, specialty flour, and activated charcoal made from macadamia shells.
Muinde emphasized that smallholder farmers have a vital role in this transformation and can benefit from technical knowledge and agronomic training, especially through partnerships with industry players like Kakuzi.
The National Macadamia Conference, organized by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), runs from June 4 to 6, 2025, under the theme “Empowering Kenya’s Macadamia Industry Through Collaborations for Enhanced Value and Sustainability.”
The conference has drawn over 1,000 delegates, including farmers, processors, researchers, and policymakers.
The event is a critical platform to explore innovations in production and processing technologies and to encourage sustainable farming practices.
