Wakulima dairy cooperative taps digital tools to boost milk production

KENYA – Wakulima Dairy Cooperative in Nyeri County is emerging as a model of how farmer-owned businesses can thrive through technology and international partnerships.

By digitizing its operations, Wakulima has introduced systems that enhance transparency and efficiency.

Farmers can now trace their milk from the farm to the final product, ensuring quality control and building trust with consumers.

Wakulima Dairy chairman Muhika Mutahi said digitisation has transformed operations that were once entirely manual.

He noted that when the cooperative started 34 years ago, it was collecting just 31 litres of milk per day. Today, that figure has grown to 90,000 litres daily.

“We have been improving our systems over the past 10 years, and today we can trace milk from the farmer to the market. With 20,000 members representing about 100,000 households, digitalisation has simplified our work and improved efficiency,” Mutahi said.

Beyond processing raw milk and selling both fresh and long-life milk under the Royal brand, the cooperative has ventured into value addition through yoghurt production.

“We want to expand by another 250,000-litre capacity so that we can do more value addition including mala (both natural and flavoured), butter, cheese and ghee. This will ensure our members earn more from their dairy farming,” he added.

During a recent visit, Sweden’s ambassador to Kenya, Håkan Åkesson, described the cooperative as an outstanding example of how smallholder farmers can come together to create a commercially viable enterprise that also transforms rural livelihoods.

“This dairy shows not only what is commercially sound but also how a farmer-owned enterprise can support tens of thousands of livelihoods. Through partnerships with Nyeri county and Swedish company Tetra Pak, the cooperative now has equipment that allows farmers to scale up production,” the ambassador said.

Royal Fresh Brands expands with new sweetened lala milk

Recently, Royal Fresh Brands, operating under Wakulima Dairy Ltd, introduced sweetened lala milk, expanding its product offering.

According to the brand, the new product is smooth and creamy, with a perfectly balanced sweetness and rich texture. This new offering is a refreshing twist on traditional milk.

Each serving supports bone development and muscle repair, which are essential for growing children and ageing adults

Additionally, the addition of sweeteners is carefully calibrated to preserve the natural lactose profile and minimize glycemic load, achieving a balance between taste and metabolic health.

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