The Government of Kenya through the President Uhuru Kenyatta officially opened the revamped Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) milk processing plant in Dandora, Nairobi.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, President Kenyatta said that reopening of the factory is part of the Government’s plan to ensure Kenya has enough milk for local consumption and for the export market.
“We can now improve our dairy cows that have the capacity to produce more milk because we now have the market. Farmers should highly to invest in high-grade cows to increase milk production since we also have several bull stations across the country from where farmers can get quality semen for their cows to increase production,” said Kenyatta.
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New KCC
The new KCC is the third factory to be re-opened after Eldoret and Sotik and plans are underway to also reopen Nyahururu and Kiganjo factories. The refurbished plant, has now an installed US $1.5m ultra-modern equipment at the Kiganjo plant in Central Kenya with a capacity of 300,000 litres per day. This has doubled its processing capacity to 160,000 litres per day from 80,000 litres per day.
The revamped factory commands 40% of the dairy market share and plays an important role in the stabilisation of prices. According to the firm’s Managing Director Nickson Sigei, US $4m was used to raise the capacity of the Dandora plant and will target farmers from Kiambu, Nyeri, Muranga, Embu and Kajiado.
During the event, President Kenyatta warned the current New KCC leadership not to run it down through corrupt practices like their predecessors did as this would deny thousands of workers and farmers income.
“I want our directors to know that last time it was your predecessors who collapsed this factory, please ensure that the money that we have invested in this process benefits farmers and Kenyans at large. Be loyal to these farmers who have entrusted you with those jobs,” said the President.
