Police in Kisumu have arrested two suspects linked to the arson of sugarcane farms, resulting in significant losses for the owners. County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo stated that the individuals were taken into custody to assist with the ongoing investigations. He attributed the attacks to sabotage, emphasizing that the arsonists aim to cripple the sugar sector and harm the local economy.
“For the past few months, thousands of acres of farms in Muhoroni, Chemelil, and Kibos have been destroyed,” Leparmorijo said. “We don’t know what the motive is. These people want to destroy the economy. We want to identify those behind these actions.”
He mentioned that multiple meetings had been held with the regional commissioner, factory representatives, and various stakeholders to address the situation. Leparmorijo urged the community and local leaders to reject such destructive behavior.
The arrests follow ongoing requests from the county government for police investigations into the arson attacks. Agriculture Executive Ken Onyango labeled the fires as acts of economic sabotage. “Farmers are suffering significant losses, and the persistent fires are threatening the future of sugar production in the region,” he said.
The fires have disrupted the development schedules for sugarcane and could lead to a shortage of raw materials, potentially forcing the closure of three major factories in the area. Kibos Sugar manager Richard Sewe and corporate affairs manager Joyce Opondo expressed concern over the extensive damage.
“Harvesting and crushing burnt cane leads to high operational costs and affects the quality of sugar. It also results in environmental challenges,” Opondo noted.
Silvanus Oging reported that his farm was set ablaze on Saturday at around 4:35 PM. “I was alerted about the fire at my farm. I rushed over, but by the time I arrived, it had already consumed 64 hectares, 48 of which were mine. The damage is extensive, and I am going to lose a lot,” he said.
He had anticipated earning at least Sh8.6 million from his harvest but now faces uncertainty following the attack. “I don’t know when the factory will be able to harvest it because they are already overwhelmed with other cases like mine. It’s heartbreaking. I was counting on a significant harvest, but now that money might be out of reach,” he lamented. Oging had invested heavily in developing his sugarcane plantation, which cost Sh3.6 million.
