• Kenya ended COMESA sugar import caps after 24-year waiver
• Government still controls imports via licenses and tariff waivers
• Demand exceeds output, sustaining imports from regional suppliers

Kenya’s much-anticipated opening of its sugar market to fellow Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) members has yet to fully take effect, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report on the East African nation’s sugar industry published earlier this month.

In late November 2025, Kenya ended the special protection regime that allowed it to cap sugar imports from neighboring countries, ending 24 years of waivers negotiated under Article 61 of the COMESA treaty.

That provision states that “in the case of serious disturbance of the economy of a member state, the member state concerned may, after informing the Secretary General and other member states, take necessary safeguard measures.” While Kenya’s Sugar Board (KSB) described the move as the “completion of a reform cycle,” the USDA offered a more nuanced assessment.

The Kenyan government still controls import volumes by issuing licenses, even though imports are no longer subject to quotas, the USDA said. It also noted that Kenya continues to seek a waiver under the East African Community (EAC) customs protocol, allowing it to import sugar from outside the bloc at a rate below the standard 100% tariff.

“Until June 30, 2026, Kenya is implementing an EAC-approved tariff waiver for industrial sugar. Under this framework, 10 beverage and confectionery companies have been authorized to import a combined 208,600 metric tons at a reduced duty rate of 10%,” the report said.

Despite these constraints, Kenya remains a key market for regional suppliers. Mauritius was the leading exporter to the country in 2024/2025, shipping 74,763 metric tons, followed by Uganda with 62,760 metric tons, according to TradeMap data.

Annual sugar consumption in East Africa’s largest economy exceeds one million metric tons, compared with domestic production of around 600,000 metric tons.

Espoir Olodo