Kenyan Government hands over 10,000-litre milk cooler to Kangari Dairy Cooperative

KENYA – President William Ruto has handed over a 10,000-litre milk cooler to Kangari United Dairy Cooperative Society in Kigumo Constituency, Murang’a County, as part of ongoing efforts to boost the dairy sector.

The President said the facility is expected to reduce post-harvest milk losses, enhance value addition, and increase household incomes, contributing to improved livelihoods for farmers in the area.

He noted that the project is part of a wider programme involving the installation of 12 bulk milk coolers across Murang’a County, aimed at strengthening dairy value chains and improving market access for farmers.

“The initiative will benefit more than 3,600 dairy farmers in the county, enabling them to aggregate approximately 37,000 litres of milk daily,” he said.

The programme is part of the government’s broader agricultural transformation agenda targeting increased productivity and income generation for farming communities.

Kangari United Dairy Cooperative Society was founded in 2015 in Murang’a County, Kenya.  Since its inception, the cooperative has grown to include over 2000 members, most of whom are small-scale dairy farmers delivering milk daily.

The distribution began in June-July 2025, with initial batches flagged off by President Ruto in Meru County, and subsequent handovers led by other government officials in various counties, including Nyandarua and Embu.

The ongoing rollout aims to distribute 230 bulk milk coolers across 40 counties in the Sh1.45 billion project.

Once installed and operational, the government anticipates the coolers will increase the national milk chilling capacity by 475,000 litres daily, directly and indirectly supporting over 2 million people.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya produced an estimated 5.3 billion litres of milk in 2024, with 80 per cent coming from smallholder farmers.

However, the country still loses approximately six per cent of marketed milk annually to post-harvest losses—about 175 million litres valued at Sh7.9 billion.

Additionally, the Ministry aims to double milk production to 10 billion litres annually by 2027, create 500,000 jobs in the dairy sector, and export up to 1 billion litres of milk each year.

To support this plan, Kagwe said the government will lease arable public land for large-scale fodder and sunflower farming to reduce the cost of animal feed.

He also announced plans to increase production of quality sexed semen, commercialize pasture farming, and conduct a national livestock vaccination drive to boost productivity.

To receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa, the Middle East and around the world, SUBSCRIBE HERE.