Omollo Highlights Nandi Dairy Union as Flagship of Ruto’s Agricultural Reform Agenda
According to his Facebook page, Interior Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has described the Nandi Dairy Cooperative Union (NDCU) Milk Processing Plant as a flagship example of farmer-driven value addition aligned with President William Samoei Ruto’s strategy to reposition agriculture at the core of Kenya’s economic growth and food security agenda.
In the post, Dr Omollo framed the plant launched in 2019 as part of a broader effort to strengthen cooperative structures and shield smallholder farmers from exploitative market practices. By aggregating supply and marketing milk collectively, the union enables producers to secure fairer prices while accessing formal retail channels under national regulatory safeguards.
The facility processes milk into Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) products with a shelf life of up to 90 days, alongside fermented products such as yoghurt and Lala lasting up to 30 days.
Milk undergoes quality testing before being filtered, chilled and pasteurised, with cream separation and packaging including 250ml and 500ml yoghurt cups completing the value-addition chain.
Although the plant’s five silos have a combined capacity of 20,000 litres, it reportedly receives between 100,000 and 200,000 litres daily, underscoring the scale of farmer participation and the logistical intensity of rural agro-processing.
Distribution currently spans Uasin Gishu, Vihiga, Siaya, Bungoma and Busia counties, with Kisumu next in line for expansion. Products are sold through a network of distributors and directly to supermarkets, reflecting an ambition to entrench the cooperative’s footprint in western Kenya’s urban markets.
Dr Omollo also noted that the union engages university interns alongside permanent and casual staff, positioning the plant not only as a commercial enterprise but as a source of employment and skills development.
The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, he added, supports the facility by ensuring security and operational stability.
