President Ruto Directs Agriculture Ministry To Import High-Yielding Dairy Camels And Buffaloes

President William Ruto has unveiled plans to introduce improved camel and buffalo breeds to Kenya in a bid to diversify dairy production and resolve persistent national milk shortages.

Speaking at the Agriculture and Food Security Summit held at Jamhuri Park in Nairobi on Friday, October 9, 2026, the Head of State revealed that he has directed Agriculture Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke to facilitate the importation of high-yielding breeds to supplement traditional cattle dairy farming.

Drawing comparisons to international agricultural models, President Ruto pointed to India’s successful commercial water buffalo dairy sector as a viable blueprint for Kenya, while emphasizing the commercial viability of camel milk in urban centers.

“I had directed the Agriculture PS to help us bring in a better breed of camel and bring another buffalo breed. Buffaloes also produce a lot of milk. In India, there are buffaloes,” President Ruto stated. “So PS Mueke, do as we had agreed. Bring in buffalo and also bring in a better breed of camel because we need to diversify our milk sources.”

Price Dynamics and Supply Deficit

The President highlighted the strong economic returns of camel milk, noting that it currently commands higher retail prices in the capital compared to cow milk.

“Here in Nairobi, camel’s milk is selling at about KSh 190 to KSh 200, beating cow’s milk nearly three times. We need to start thinking,” Ruto noted, adding that camels offer superior drought resilience and higher yield potential during dry spells.

The government’s initiative comes amid a noticeable decline in milk production caused by prolonged dry weather. Formal deliveries to processors dropped from 84.4 million liters in June 2026 to 81.3 million liters in July, with supply contractions continuing through August and September.

The supply shortfall has pushed retail prices in major urban centers—including Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu—to between KSh 75 and KSh 80 per 500ml packet, up from KSh 60–70. The scarcity has also led smallholder farmers to bypass formal dairy cooperatives in favor of direct sales to neighborhood consumers and informal traders offering higher spot prices.