The Ministry of Livestock has recorded 800 applications from Kenyan farmers who want to import Indian dairy buffaloes as a response to the current milk deficit.

Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke confirmed that the required veterinary health certificates have been obtained, while discussions on price and transport arrangements continue.

The plan targets the Murrah breed, noted for high milk yields, and specifies that only domesticated buffaloes will be imported, not the wild Cape buffalo found in Africa.

Estimated costs in India range from about KSh 102,572 to KSh 510,289 per animal, varying with age, health status and expected productivity.

President William Ruto instructed the ministry at the Agricultural Transformation and Food Systems Conference to devise a structured buffalo‑dairy programme, highlighting drought and expensive feed as key constraints for smallholders.

A Kenyan delegation comprising farmers, technical specialists and policy officials will travel to India in November to observe commercial buffalo dairy operations and gather practical knowledge for local implementation.

Potential impact of buffalo milk on Kenya’s dairy sector

Mueke noted that roughly 203 million buffaloes are kept worldwide for dairy, and their milk contains almost three times the fat of regular cattle milk, making it suitable for high‑value products such as cheese, yoghurt, butter and ghee, which Kenya currently imports.

The proposal featured prominently at the inaugural Agricultural Transformation and Food Systems Conference 2026, which took place at the Kenya Agricultural Society Jamhuri Showground from 7 to 9 October.