President William Ruto has proposed introducing domesticated water buffaloes for milk production in Kenya, citing India’s dairy industry as a model for diversifying the country’s milk supply.
Ruto proposed the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit in Nairobi, suggesting the government could start with a small number of animals and explore their potential for dairy farming.
“I hear buffaloes also produce a lot of milk. If others are milking them, why can’t we do the same? What is wrong with that? We need to diversify our sources of milk,” he said.
Ruto said he had asked Livestock Development Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke to help source improved camel breeds and buffaloes as part of efforts to expand milk production.
India buffalo farming
India offers a model for the proposal. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), India and Pakistan are the world's largest producers of buffalo milk, with buffaloes producing more milk than cattle in both countries.
FAO says river buffaloes are mainly used for dairy production in South Asia and produce between 1500 and 4500 litres of milk per lactation, depending on the breed and farming conditions.
Buffalo milk also has, on average, about twice the fat content of cow's milk, making it particularly suitable for products such as butter, cheese and other dairy products.
However, the proposal would require the selection of suitable dairy breeds and an assessment of the costs and conditions needed to establish buffalo farming in Kenya.
Ruto's remarks revive an idea that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has been considering for several years.
In February 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said Kenya was considering introducing water buffaloes for meat production to supplement existing food sources, following inquiries from prospective farmers dating back to 2018.
That year, an import-export protocol for the animals was endorsed between Kenya and Brazil during the International Livestock Show and Trade Fair in Uberaba, Brazil. Under the proposed arrangements, the Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre (KAGRC) and farmers who submitted requests would have been permitted to keep the animals.
Scientifically, the proposal to farm buffalo is feasible. However, Kenya would have to introduce the appropriate domesticated species and put necessary animal-health and farming safeguards in place.
The domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is different from the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), which is a wild animal. India primarily uses river buffalo breeds selected for milk production, including Murrah and Nili-Ravi.
Introducing the animals would require veterinary checks, disease surveillance, suitable feed and water, breeding expertise and an assessment of their ability to perform under Kenyan conditions.
The government would also need to establish the cost of importing the animals, their expected milk yields and whether processors and farmers could develop a viable market for buffalo milk.
The proposal comes amid concerns over milk supply in the country.
