Lurambi MP supports President Ruto’s stand against sugarcane monopoly

Kakamega,

Thursday, September 7, 2023

KNA by Moses Wekesa

Lurambi legislator Titus Khamala has supported President William Ruto’s firm stand against monopolisation of the sugar sector in Western Kenya.

The MP said farmers want all sugar factories in Kakamega including Mumias Sugar Company, West Kenya Sugar Factory and Butali Sugar Company to operate.

He said the habit of one sugar factory controlling the sector has also contributed to lack of sugarcane for other factories and led to collapse of others.

The MP noted that even if one factory wants to control the sugar sector; it will not manage the huge number of sugarcane farmers who have grown sugarcane.

He noted that he is a farmer and understands the pain that sugarcane farmers go through regretting that there are individuals talking about the sugarcane industry yet they are not farmers.

As a sugarcane farmer, the MP said, their family started farming the crop of over 30 acres of land in the early 1980s on Shikoti bloc 6.

He explained that during that time when Mumias Sugar Company was operational, farmers were happy, owning some means of transport like bicycles and were able to support their families and educate their children.

“We did not need bursaries during that period, because farmers had money in their pockets, we had the Mumias Out-Grower Company that would lend funds to farmers,” he noted.

He was speaking after handing over Shikoti Police station to the National Police Service which was constructed by the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) Lurambi constituency.

He hailed President Ruto for his courage to speak out against the monopoly asking those who are not willing to adhere to the President orders to leave the sugarcane sector.

The MP spoke as Kakamega is set to host the first sugar conference on Friday and Saturday this week at Masinde Muliro University to discuss the ailing sugar sector and try to find a lasting solution.

The Sugar Conference will bring together Lake Region Economic Bloc counties where sugarcane is grown which have suffered the effects of collapsed sugarcane factories and shortage of cane.

The sugar conference themed ‘revitalization of the sugar sector in Kenya’ will bring together 14 counties which include Kakamega, Nandi, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Bomet, Vihiga, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Migori, Kisii, Narok, Siaya and Kericho.

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has extended an invite to farmers, researchers and sector players with other governors and high ranking government officers expected to attend.

Courtesy; KNA