Ah, butter and cheese—the dairy luxuries that make everything better. But if you live in Kenya and enjoy these dairy goodies, you’ve probably noticed something that can make your wallet wince. Why are butter and cheese so expensive in Kenya when milk is relatively affordable? It’s a mystery wrapped in a riddle. Let’s dive in and unravel the tale.
Affordable Milk: The Calm Before the Dairy Storm
Let’s start with the basics. Milk in Kenya is pretty affordable, right? Whether you’re grabbing a packet of the fresh stuff from your local kiosk or a long-life carton from the supermarket, it doesn’t break the bank.
Even during the dry seasons when cows aren’t feeling particularly generous, and milk production dips, prices only creep up by about 10%. Nothing too wild. So, you might think that since butter and cheese are made from milk, they should be just as accessible. But no, my friend, that’s not how this dairy tale goes.
Also Read: 10 Popular Milk Brands in Kenya Ranked From Worst to Best
Why Butter is the Pricey Black Sheep of the Dairy Family
First, let’s talk butter. Now, if you’re like most Kenyans, butter isn’t exactly a staple in your kitchen. It’s not in your daily ugali, it’s not making an appearance in your sukuma wiki, and it’s definitely not sneaking into your nyama choma.
The only place you’re likely to see butter is in recipes that have a distinctly global flair. That fancy cake recipe you found on YouTube? Butter. That pasta sauce you tried to impress your date with? Butter again. But beyond that, we Kenyans don’t really have a place for butter in our traditional cuisine.
The Vegetable Oil and Margarine Factor: Why Butter Takes a Backseat in Kenyan Kitchens
Let’s be real: in Kenya, vegetable oil is the unsung hero of the kitchen. Maybe you’re frying up some sukuma wiki, making mandazi, or preparing a hearty beef stew, vegetable oil is the go-to.
It’s affordable, accessible, and does the job just fine. Butter, on the other hand, is more of a luxury item that doesn’t fit into the everyday Kenyan cooking routine. This reliance on vegetable oil reduces the demand for butter, making it even more of a niche product and contributing to its high price.
Also Read: Grocery Guide: The 10 Best Cooking Oils in Kenya
Also Read:Is Elianto Oil Healthier than Normal Vegetable Oils?
Now on the spread side of things, we have Blue Band; technically, Blue Band isn’t butter; it’s margarine. But in Kenya, it’s the next best thing—or at least, that’s what we’ve been aggressively told.
Blue Band is marketed with enthusiasm. It’s in every homestead, smeared on every slice of bread, and even finds its way into cooking pots. In Kenya, Blue Band is the butter we didn’t ask for but the one we got anyway.
Also Read: Is Blue Band Margarine Really Healthy?
Blue Band just appeals more because is It’s affordable, available everywhere, and aggressively marketed to the point where many Kenyans probably think it’s just a different kind of butter.
Also Read: 5 Ways to Make Use of Blue Band Margarine
Then there’s Prestige, the other big name in margarine. If Blue Band is the margarine you spread on your bread, Prestige is the one you use for baking. It’s just better for your cakes, and even better than actual butter for cookies! But it’s still margarine.
Butter is what you want, but Prestige is what you can afford—so that’s what you use.
Also Read: Prestige vs Blue Band: Which Margarine is Better?
So in conclusion here: Sure, margarine isn’t as good as butter. It doesn’t have that rich, creamy goodness that makes everything taste better. But it’s what’s affordable, it’s what’s available, and for many Kenyans, it’s what we’ve grown up with.
Simple Fluffy Margarine Pancakes: A Step-by-Step Recipe
Supply, Demand, and the Middle-Class Connection
This brings us to the economics of it all. Because butter isn’t a kitchen must-have in the average Kenyan household, the demand is pretty low. But there’s a catch. Some people—let’s call them the “butter believers”—still want it, and they’re willing to pay for it.
So, dairy processors, seeing that it’s not exactly flying off the shelves, produce it on a smaller scale. And here’s where it gets interesting: to make it worth their while, they slap on a premium price tag. It’s like they’re saying, “You want butter? Fine, but it’s gonna cost you.”
And who’s buying this butter? Mostly middle-class-ish folks who are into their Western recipes and baking or have developed a taste for the stuff abroad.
Since this crowd can afford a little luxury, dairy processors can get away with charging more. In fact, butter in Kenya is almost twice as expensive as it is in the USA or Europe, where, let’s be honest, the cost of living is higher, and people eat butter like it’s going out of style.
To put this into perspective, a 500g block of premium butter in Kenya currently goes for around KSh 1,495. Meanwhile, the same amount in the UK will cost you about KSh 496. Ouch.
Cheese: The Imported Luxury We Love (and Pay Dearly For)
And if you think butter’s got it bad, let’s talk cheese. Unlike butter, which is at least made locally, most of the cheese you’ll find in Kenya is imported. Yes, from the dairy heavens of Europe, where cows probably moo with a charming accent. Denmark, in particular, seems to be the cheese capital from which our supermarkets source this deliciousness. But importing cheese comes with its own set of challenges.
The Tax, Transport, and Refrigeration Trio
First off, there’s the array of taxes and duties that the government slaps on imported goods. And let’s face it, cheese isn’t exactly considered a necessity—it’s a luxury.
So, of course, the government squeezes as much tax from it as possible. Then there’s the issue of getting it here in one piece. Cheese is perishable, which means it needs to be kept cool from the moment it leaves that Danish farm to when it lands on our supermarket shelves.
Refrigerated transport isn’t cheap, and when you throw in the need for the fastest air freight, you can practically see the price rising with every kilometer traveled.
The Cost of Loving Dairy in Kenya
All these factors—taxes, refrigeration, transport costs—add up. And at the end of the day, guess who gets to foot the bill? Yep, you, the cheese-loving Kenyan consumer.
That’s why a block of cheddar or a wedge of brie will set you back far more than it would in a country where cheese isn’t an imported luxury but a dietary staple. 500g 0f the ordinary Mozzarella Cheese costs around KSh 900 in 2024
Conclusion: The Price We Pay for Salvation
So, in conclusion, it’s tough being a dairy lover in Kenya. Sure, milk is affordable, and you can enjoy your cup of milk tea without too much stress.
Also Read: The Perfect Milk Tea Recipe-(Chai ya Maziwa)
But when it comes to buttering your toast or biting into a cheesy pizza, be prepared to shell out some serious cash. It’s the price we pay for our cravings in a country where these dairy goodness are more of an extravagance than a necessity.
