President William Ruto has announced that a strategic partner will be identified within two months to lease the Nzoia Sugar Company.
The move is aimed at reviving the struggling miller that has been at the heart of the Westen Kenya region’s sugar industry.
Speaking on Friday when he ended his week-long tour of the region in Bungoma town, the President emphasized the urgency of bringing in new management to address years of mismanagement, which have left farmers and workers suffering.
He stated that the initial bid process for a strategic investor had since been canceled, but that the State was now set to re-advertise it.
“I will not allow cartels opposing the lease of Nzoia Sugar to derail this process. We will deal with them decisively. If we get this right, Kenya will become one of the greatest sugar exporters. Last year, we didn’t import any sugar,” Ruto remarked.
He expressed his commitment to ensuring timely payments to farmers and workers, stressing that the revival of the Nzoia Sugar Factory was essential to the well-being of local communities and the agricultural economy.
His remarks were on Saturday confirmed by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula who revealed that the process to privatize Nzoia Sugar had already begun following the dismissal of a court case that had been blocking the leasing of the factory.
Wetangula, speaking at the burial of Prof. George Fungo Chenge in Nangwe Village, Kabuchai Constituency, urged those opposing the privatization to reconsider their stance for the sake of the farmers who have been struggling with the factory’s closure.
“A case that had been filed in court blocking the leasing of Nzoia Sugar Factory has been dismissed and the process will start immediately,” Wetangula said.
“I want to tell individuals standing in the way of this process that the world is changing, and they should allow efforts to revitalize the mill for the benefit of suffering farmers.”
Wetangula further encouraged farmers who had abandoned cane farming to return, noting that Nzoia Sugar had the potential to become a leading miller in the region due to its large cane nucleus.
“I know some Nzoia Sugar factory farmers had been poached by rival companies around…I urge them to come back and support the mill because the challenges faced by the factory will be a thing of the past,” he added.
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka reiterated the county’s support for initiatives aimed at reviving Nzoia Sugar, highlighting the severe economic impact the factory’s collapse has had on the local community.
“The county has suffered due to the collapse of Nzoia, as it was one of our key sources of revenue. We will support any initiative put in place to revive the mill,” he stated.
Senator Wafula Wakoli also weighed in, pointing to corruption as a major factor in the factory’s woes. He welcomed President Ruto’s efforts to address mismanagement by changing the mill’s top management.
“The poverty level in the county has increased since the collapse of Nzoia Sugar,” Wakoli said. “Those opposing the revival efforts are selfish and short-sighted.”
