Government to pay Ksh500m owed to dairy farmers countrywide

By Judith Akolo 

The government will pay the half a billion shillings owed to over 18,000 dairy farmers by New KCC.

Deputy President William Ruto says the 20-year old debt will finally be settled to help boost returns as well as motivate farmers to produce more.

Over 18,000 dairy farmers across the country are set to be paid an outstanding debt of 500 million shillings for milk they supplied to New KCC but had never been paid for the last 20 years.

Speaking when he disbursed cheques worth 58 million shillings to dairy farmers in Nyeri, Laikipia, Kajiado, Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga and Murang’a counties, the Deputy President William Ruto said settling the debt was part of the promises made to farmers by the Jubilee administration.

The DP said all New KCC factories would receive funds to upgrade their facilities under a modernization plan in order to process more milk supplies from farmers.

The dairy sector in Kenya produces an estimated 5 billion litres of milk yearly making it an important player in the economy and a major provider of nutritional value to Kenyans.