Malaysia has expressed strong interest in expanding its palm oil exports to Kenya while supporting local production to reduce Kenya’s heavy dependence on imports, which currently come almost entirely from Malaysia and Indonesia. Visiting Malaysian Minister for Plantation and Commodities Johari Ghani announced plans to establish a trade support office in Nairobi and share expertise, seeds, and technologies to boost Kenya’s edible oil value chain.
Kenya’s edible oil refining industry, with a capacity of 2.1 million metric tonnes per year, is operating at just 40% due to a lack of local raw materials. Imports meet over 900,000 tonnes of annual demand. The Kenya Association of Manufacturers sees this as an opportunity to scale up local oilseed farming and enhance production. Kenya and Malaysia also discussed broader trade collaboration, including easing trade flows and addressing industry challenges to strengthen both economies.
