A section of cane farmers in Kisumu County’s Nyando sugar belt are expressing growing frustration over local political leaders criticising the national government’s decision to lease public sugar mills to private investors.
While the leasing has sparked backlash among political leaders from the region, some farmers have expressed confidence that the 30-year lease will revitalise the once-thriving sector.
Led by Muhoroni MP Onyango K’Oyoo, local legislators accused the government of rushing to hand over Chemelil and Muhoroni sugar companies to private investors without involving stakeholders.
“We are spelling doom for our millers when we assign companies, which have no capacity or clear track record to manage massive sugar mills that have supported thousands of residents over the years,” he said.
Mr K’Oyoo faulted the leasing of Chemelil Kibos Sugar, Allied Industries Limited and Muhoroni to the West Valley Sugar.
Seme MP James Nyikal, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor, MP Kisumu Central Joshua Oron, Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabir and Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga called for the immediate termination of the leases, citing a lack of transparency.
However, Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers secretary general Kilion Osur blamed the leaders for failing to guide the sector for decades.
“We welcome the leasing as a sign of recovery, but instead of supporting progress, our elected leaders are opposing it without offering alternatives,” he said.
Mr Osur said farmers are pinning their hopes on the private millers to revitalise the industry, improve production and pay farmers promptly.
“What a farmer needs is timely payment for cane delivered, and that is what Kibos is offering,” said John Okita, a farmer from Sidho in Muhoroni.
He said the failure of public mills, particularly Miwani, has devastated livelihoods and social amenities in the sugar belt.
“Life has not been the same since Miwani collapsed. We’re finally seeing a turnaround with Kibos,” he said.
Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW) general secretary Francis Wangara, who sits on the 12-month transition committee overseeing the handover, assured workers that their rights will be protected and no one will be unfairly dismissed.
“These mills have struggled for years to pay workers. With private management, we expect stability,” he said, noting that all employee dues will be honoured under the new agreements.
Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers, workers and other stakeholders from Chemelil and Muhoroni held peaceful demonstrations against what they termed irregular leasing of the two companies.
The group calling itself ‘Nyando Sugar Belt Stakeholder Committee’ vowed to paralyse operations until the government heeds to their calls and cancels the whole process.
