PREMIUM Rice, sugar, milk top Sh573m uncaptured regional imports Business Just now

Rice, sugar and milk topped the commodities informally imported into Kenya in the year to June 2025, disclosures show, as supply constraints and strong domestic demand drove increased reliance on cross-border trade to supplement local supplies.

Kenya experienced a mild to severe shortage of the three food commodities during the period, driving greater reliance on informal cross-border trade, which avoids any non-tariff barriers and formal declaration channels that may impede the trading process.

The shortage may have triggered a surge in informal sugar imports, with Kenya now auditing its informal cross-border sugar trade amid severe market distortions, which are affecting pricing and revenue collections.