President William Ruto announces plan to import buffaloes, camels as milk shortage hits Kenya

KENYA – President William Ruto has announced plans to introduce improved camel and buffalo breeds in Kenya as part of the government’s strategy to address the problem of milk shortage.

Speaking during the Agriculture and Food Security Summit at Jamhuri Park in Nairobi on Friday, October 9, Ruto said the government would diversify milk production by exploring alternative sources beyond usual dairy cattle.

The President said he had directed Agriculture Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke to facilitate the importation of improved camel breeds and buffaloes to increase the country’s milk supply.

While expressing interest in introducing buffaloes for dairy production, he cited India as an example of a country where the animals are milked commercially.

The President maintained that the proposed imports would help Kenya expand its milk production options at a time when drought conditions have affected supply.

This strategy comes after the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) reported that formal milk deliveries to processors fell by 3.7%, from 84.4 million litres in June to 81.3 million litres in July 2026.

MUST unveils Ka-Mero camel milk yoghurt

Earlier this year, Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) launched Ka-Mero camel milk yoghurt, a health-promoting dairy product developed by the University’s researchers.

Ka-Mero Camel Milk Yoghurt harnesses the exceptional nutritional and therapeutic benefits of camel milk, often referred to as a “superfood.”

Camel milk contains up to five times more Vitamin C than cow’s milk and is highly digestible, making it suitable for a wide range of consumers.

Research has shown that camel milk possesses numerous health-promoting properties, including anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, hypoallergenic, and immune-supporting characteristics.

Buffalo Milk

Compared with cow’s milk, buffalo milk contains higher levels of casein proteins, such as αs1-casein, αs2-casein, β-casein, and κ-casein.

Notably, αs2-casein and κ-casein levels are about twice those in cow’s milk. In addition, buffalo milk has higher concentrations of lipids, lactose, and minerals, with its fat content being nearly double that of cow’s milk.

Buffalo milk possesses notable health-promoting properties, primarily due to its rich content of bioactive compounds such as δ-valerobetaine (δVB) and acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR).

These compounds exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and contribute to the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation.

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