Nzoia Sugar resumes milling after seven-month shutdown following West Kenya Sugar lease
Factory restarts operations after major rehabilitation, targeting full capacity milling and expanded cane development.
KENYA – Nzoia Sugar Company has resumed milling operations after a seven-month shutdown, following its takeover by West Kenya Sugar Company under a long-term lease arrangement aimed at reviving struggling State-owned sugar mills.
The factory, which had been dormant since late 2024, underwent extensive rehabilitation works after the handover on May 10, 2025.
According to company officials, the overhaul focused on restoring critical infrastructure that had deteriorated over years of inadequate maintenance. Key repairs were carried out on the main power turbines, mill turbines, boiler tubes, roller shells and milling units to stabilise operations and reduce breakdowns.
Additional upgrades included improvements to cane preparation equipment, evaporator sets, sugar and water pumps, as well as the automation of several factory sections to improve efficiency and operational control. These interventions have enabled the factory to resume milling at its installed capacity of 3,000 tonnes of cane per day.
Isaac Wasike, the factory’s process manager, said the government’s decision to lease out the miller prevented its imminent collapse. He confirmed that rehabilitation works were completed successfully and that the plant is now operating under optimal technical conditions. He noted that for nearly a decade, limited maintenance had significantly affected performance and reliability.
Following the overhaul, the factory expects an extraction rate of up to 96 percent, while the cane-to-sugar ratio has improved to 10:1. According to Wasike, worn-out components that previously caused sugar losses through leakages in the processing section have been replaced, improving recovery and overall output.
At the time of the handover, operations had completely ceased, with uncrushed cane left to dry and later discarded in the factory yard. Nzoia Sugar is one of four State-owned sugar companies leased to private investors for 30 years as part of sector reforms. The others include Sony Sugar, Muhoroni Sugar and Chemelil Sugar, while the leasing of Mumias Sugar to Sarrai Group remains suspended due to legal challenges.
Nzoia Sugar Chief Executive Officer Sohan Sharma said the factory currently has sufficient cane to support continuous operations. He disclosed that approximately 490,000 tonnes of cane are available from outgrowers and the nucleus estate, enough to sustain milling from December 2025 to June 2026.
Sharma said the immediate focus was modernising the plant by replacing obsolete equipment, with the next priority being aggressive cane development. He noted that the company plans to support farmers through land preparation, provision of quality seed cane and fertiliser distribution to stabilise supply.
The company intends to expand cane acreage by 12,500 acres under a structured farmer support programme. To improve harvesting and transportation, Nzoia Sugar has acquired 101 tractors and engaged more than 30 contractors to ensure daily deliveries meet milling requirements.
The resumption comes shortly after Kenya exited the COMESA Sugar Safeguard regime, marking a significant shift in the country’s sugar sector reform agenda.
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