President William Ruto has given Kenyans a rare glimpse inside his Koliel Dairy Farm, walking viewers through how milk is produced on the property in a video shared online by his aide Dennis Itumbi. William Ruto gave Kenyans a tour of his dairy farm. The tour came straight after the president wrapped up tree-planting activities to mark Mazingira Day, suggesting the farm stop was a planned part of his schedule rather than an impromptu detour. How Ruto produces milk at his Koilel dairy farm The footage shows Ruto moving through different sections of the facility, beginning with the animal feed area, where he observed what the cows were being given and offered instructions on the quality of the feeds. He then led the camera crew into what appeared to be the milking area, offering a step-by-step look at how the operation runs. The modern shed housing the animals was also on display, appearing well maintained and equipped compared with a typical smallholder dairy setup. The timing of the video has drawn attention because Kenya is currently dealing with a milk shortage that has left some supermarket shelves thinning and prompted rationing in parts of the country.
Retail prices in urban centres have reportedly climbed to between KSh 75 and KSh 85 for a 500ml packet. Is there a milk shortage in Kenya? Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe attributed the crunch to two main factors: a severe drought that has reduced animal feed availability, and middle-market brokers outbidding local dairy cooperatives for milk supplies. Data from the Kenya Dairy Board reportedly showed formal milk deliveries to processors slipping from 84.4 million litres in June 2026 to 81.3 million litres in July 2026, with further declines recorded thereafter. Ruto had earlier addressed the dairy sector at the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit held at Jamhuri ASK Showground on 8 and 9 October 2026, where he claimed Kenya had overtaken Egypt to become Africa’s largest milk producer. He said annual output had risen from 4.5 billion litres to between 5.4 billion and 5.6 billion litres. Watch the video below: Are buffaloes food animals in Kenya? The president also revealed he had directed Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke to look into importing improved camel breeds and a sample of buffaloes to help diversify milk production. On the idea of milking buffaloes, Ruto was direct: “If others are milking them, why can’t we do the same? What is wrong with that?” He added that camel milk fetches around KSh 190 to KSh 200 per litre in Nairobi, framing it as a more profitable alternative for farmers willing to diversify.
