Project aims at ‘MOre’ safe milk for millions of Kenyans
- Launched by Kenya Dairy Board and ILRI, the initiative aims at boosting informal dairy markets in peri-urban settings which account for about 80 percent of all milk sold in Kenya
By Mwangi Mumero
Dairy farmers could soon be able to offer higher-quality milk, improved milk handling and safety, and greater access to safe markets in central and western counties of Kenya, such as Nakuru, Nyandarua and Uasin Gishu.
This follows a four-year project launched jointly by Kenya Dairy Board and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), to improve the quality, safety and marketing of milk in the country. The project will also involve other stakeholders.
Appropriately dubbed More Milk for Lives and Livelihoods (MOreMilk2), the initiative will be funded by the Gates Foundation and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Its main goal is to boost informal milk markets in peri-urban settings by improving nutrition and health. Kenya’s informal dairy sector is the backbone of milk supply for millions of people, providing affordable and nutritious products while sustaining livelihoods across the value chain.
Research indicates that informal markets account for around 80 percent of all milk sold in Kenya. Most of the milk is sold raw (unpasteurised) and unpackaged, although some may have been boiled for longevity.
Informal markets are more popular than formal ones for several reasons – they are better able to provide goods that meet socio-cultural expectations on quality. Informal markets also sell their milk cheaper than the formal market.
But the sector faces significant challenges, including inconsistent quality, food safety concerns and regulatory bottlenecks, which limit its economic potential.
The new project is designed to mitigate these challenges through targeted interventions in Nakuru, Nyandarua and Uasin Gishu, three of Kenya’s top milk-producing counties.
Overall, the project is expected to improve the safety of unpackaged milk sold by small businesses by empowering the vendors with business skills, safe handling practices and regulatory knowledge.
“We aim to create a more inclusive and efficient dairy sector by addressing market access and milk safety concerns,” says Silvia Alonso, the Project Principal Investigator, ILRI.
It will also promote gender inclusion by enhancing women’s participation and economic opportunities, besides strengthening collaboration between dairy farmers, vendors, regulators and policy makers.
The project is designed to improve livelihoods, empower small-scale vendors and ensure that Kenyan households have access to high-quality milk.