Sugarcane growers decline government proposal to consolidating sugar mills

KENYA– Kenyan sugarcane stakeholders from Nyando sugar belt have united in their opposition to a proposal by the national government to merge Chemelil and Muhoroni sugar companies into a single entity as part of ongoing reforms in the sugar sector.

The stakeholders, resolute in their stand, appeared before the National Assembly committees on finances, national planning, agriculture, and livestock, making it clear that they would not entertain any discussions regarding the proposed merger.

Led by Muhoroni MP Onyango Koyoo, the stakeholders articulated their concerns and grievances, stating their vehement opposition to any attempts to combine the two state-owned sugar mills.

“We have categorically rejected any plans to have the two factories merged into one,” MP Koyoo declared.

Koyoo emphasized that the primary issue at hand is not the merger itself but rather the deteriorating condition of machinery within the mills, which has significantly hampered production.

“The government should find a solution by purchasing new machines and not hide behind the merger of the mills,” he asserted.

Koyoo expressed farmers’ concerns, highlighting the fact that much of the land allocated for cane nucleus growing has been illegally acquired.

He urged the government to repossess the unlawfully seized land in the area if land scarcity was the driving force behind the merger proposal.

In a press conference held in Kisumu on Tuesday, MP Koyoo stressed that the resolutions put forth by the farmers should be given serious consideration if the government is genuinely committed to revitalizing the sugar sector.

Noah Opiyo, the secretary of the Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Muhoroni branch, squarely blamed the government for failing to enforce regulations.

Opiyo asserted that numerous new factories had been established without an adequate supply of cane, yet the government permitted them to operate, thereby undermining the sugar industry.

“We have seen weighbridges springing up everywhere, some of them dangerously close to government mills. This represents unfair competition. The installation of weighbridges must be regulated,” Opiyo said.

Additionally, the farmers urged the government to involve them in the leasing process, stressing that only the factories should be leased, not the land itself.

“We will oppose the leasing of both factories and land because tomorrow, a lessee may cease cane crushing and switch to dairy farming.”

MP Koyoo also called upon President William Ruto to take action on pending court cases related to Miwani land, mirroring a precedent set with Mumias Sugar Company.

Meanwhile, in a bid to rescue the beleaguered sugar industry and safeguard the interests of local sugarcane farmers, the Kenyan government has announced plans to establish a Sugar Board and impose stringent import rules.

These measures come as part of a broader effort to revitalize the struggling sector and address the challenges it has been facing.

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