The Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) has directed all individuals and firms engaged in sugar re-packaging to comply with the new rules and regulations by completing registration with the Board not later than November 17th, 2025.
Issued via a public notice on November 5th, the directive seeks to bolster regulatory oversight and ensure consumer safety, addressing increasing market concerns about the integrity of packaged sugar products.
Referencing the Sugar Act 2024 (Section 61) and the Sugar (General) Regulations, 2025, the KSB established that formal authority clearance is mandatory for any entity re-packaging sugar for retail sale.
As part of broader reforms, the KSB explained that this measure will help streamline the sugar value chain and improve product traceability, combating the circulation of substandard or adulterated sugar by dishonest operators.
Furthermore, the initiative is designed to reinforce quality-control systems, guarantee adherence to food safety standards, and protect consumers from health risks associated with poorly handled or contaminated sugar.
The initiative also seeks to ensure a level playing field by protecting legitimate traders from illegal repackaging activities that pose unfair competition and cause market distortion.
To initiate the registration process, both companies and individuals must submit their required details and supporting documents electronically via the Board’s Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) portal.
Only those applicants satisfying the established criteria i.e. covering quality control, packaging, storage, and record-keeping, will be officially approved and publicly listed (gazzetted) as authorised operators.
The Board strongly cautioned that non-compliance with the directive would lead to severe sanctions, including the suspension or cancellation of re-packaging rights, alongside potential legal action for persistent violations.
This decisive move is set against the backdrop of the government’s renewed push to streamline the sugar industry, a sector long hampered by issues such as illicit trade, weak quality control and substantial weaknesses in market performance.
Unregulated re-packaging, authorities contend, acts as a loophole for illicit and poor-quality sugar, thereby, jeopardizing consumer well-being, causing an erosion of tax revenue, and unfairly threatening legitimate millers and traders.
All stakeholders are strongly encouraged to consult the Board’s Headquarters or its authorized website for comprehensive details on the necessary registration and compliance steps.
This major policy shift highlights the government’s renewed drive to strengthen oversight throughout the entire sugar supply chain—from cane cultivation and processing to logistics, storage, and final distribution—with the goal of securing fair competition, protecting agricultural producers, and guaranteeing safe products for consumers nationwide.
By Hellen Lunalo
