- It will oversee dairy imports and exports, advise on the development and implementation of industry standards and formulate policies and strategies for national and county governments
- Many of these functions were previously managed by the Kenya Dairy Board
Image: FILE
The Dairy Industry Bill 2024 aims to establish the Kenya Dairy Authority, a new regulatory body designed to oversee and enhance the sector.
The Act of Parliament describes the Authority’s role in regulating dairy industry activities, positioning it as the primary government agent for policy implementation.
According to the Bill, “The Authority shall...exercise general supervision and coordination of matters related to the dairy industry and shall be the principal government agent in implementing policies on the dairy industry.”
The KDA will be responsible for regulating and promoting the quality and safety of dairy products.
It will oversee dairy imports and exports, advise on the development and implementation of industry standards and formulate policies and strategies for national and county governments.
Many of these functions were previously managed by the Kenya Dairy Board.
The Act will cover all aspects of dairy production, including collection, cooling, bulking, transportation, processing, packaging, distribution and storage.
Additionally, it covers marketing and sale, whether the produce is locally sourced or imported.
This also applies to dairy equipment, processing aids and dairy premises.
Under the new Bill, the Authority will also be required to enforce industry standards, conduct research, investigations and surveys and share its findings.
“It also has the function of establishing and maintaining a national database for the dairy industry, providing laboratory testing services, promoting competitive and stable prices for dairy products, advising the Government of Kenya on international and regional dairy matters and offering technical assistance to county governments on dairy issues,” the Bill reads.
Its primary objectives are to enhance the safety of dairy products and bolster consumer protection while fostering a sustainable and competitive industry.
It also aims to promote and develop the dairy sector, support domestic and international dairy trade and provide mechanisms for data collection and industry information.
If enacted into law, primary dairy producers will be required to register with the county government.
“Primary producer means a person who produces milk for sale but does not include a person employed by the primary producer for that purpose,” the Bill explains.
“A person intending to produce milk for sale must apply in the prescribed form to the relevant county government for registration. No fee is required for registration and no subsequent renewal is necessary.”
However, the Act does not apply to dairy production for personal use.
“Registration is not required if the milk is produced for personal consumption. Any person who offers for sale or sells milk without proper registration, or if the sale does not fall under an exemption specified in this Act, commits an offence.”