Kenya exits COMESA sugar safeguard after 24 years, confident to compete
A statement issued by Jude Chesire, Chief Executive Officer Kenya Sugar Board, indicates the country’s sugar industry is stable, well-managed, and supported by clear policy direction
NAIROBI, January 11, 2026 — The Government of Kenya has formally exited the COMESA Sugar Safeguard regime after 24 years, marking a decisive and confident transition for the country’s sugar industry. The safeguard, which lapsed on November 30, 2025, had fully achieved its objective as a temporary, reform-driven instrument to stabilise and restructure the sector.
A statement issued by Jude Chesire, Chief Executive Officer Kenya Sugar Board, indicates the country’s sugar industry is stable, well-managed, and supported by clear policy direction.
“Farmers, millers, workers, and investors are assured that the exit from the safeguard does not expose the sector to disruption, but rather signals readiness to compete within a structured and fair regional market,” Chesire said.
Over the past several years, the Kenya Sugar Board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has deliberately shifted policy focus from protection to competitiveness anchored on value addition, efficiency, and diversification.
In competitive markets, sugarcane is primarily an industrial raw material, with refined sugar increasingly becoming a secondary product. Value is realised through integrated processing of ethanol from molasses, electricity generation from bagasse supplied to national grids, paper and board manufacturing, industrial alcohols, and other downstream products.
On supply fundamentals, Kenya’s sugar subsector has recorded strong recovery and growth. Current national sugar demand stands at approximately 1.1 million metric tonnes annually. While domestic production has made significant gains and is increasingly aligned with national consumption. Consequently, Kenya will continue to responsibly supplement local supply through imports from both the COMESA region and other approved sources.
Importation from both COMESA and non-COMESA origins will therefore be applied in a controlled and transparent manner. Kenya initially sought the Sugar Safeguard at the launch of the COMESA Free Trade Area in 2001 under Article 61 of the COMESA Treaty, at a time when the industry required structured protection to undertake reforms.
Over 24 years and eight extensions, the safeguard was governed by strict benchmarks set by the COMESA Council of Ministers, including tariff-rate quotas, productivity investments, sector restructuring, infrastructure development, and continuous performance monitoring. These obligations have now been fully met.
https://thecooperator.news/report-warns-of-deepening-strain-in-kenyas-sugar-sector/
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