A section of Western Kenya Members of Parliament and Senators have threatened to lead protests if the national government fails to halt the leasing of the Nzoia sugar factory.
In a press briefing, the Butere lawmaker, Tindi Mwale, claimed that leaders from the region will use 'all mechanisms' to oppose the leasing, as they claim that the tendering process was not transparent. The MP has further noted that lawmakers in the regions are set to table the matter in court to halt the leasing process.
"We will use all mechanisms, even if it is to go to protests or to the courts. And we also want to know why there was a court order and the court order was not respected," Mwale stated.
On the other hand, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna labelled the leasing of the sugar factories as 'daylight robbery' and stressed that the people should be informed about how the tendering and leasing processes were conducted.
"It is difficult for me to accept that despite the tender being internationally announced, it is only two families that are able to run a sugar factory, which are from Kenya," Sifuna stated.
Additionally, the Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, who says he is one of the contractors at the sugar factory, claimed that some of the individuals who have been leasing the sugar factories are incompetent and will incapacitate the sugar factory from operating.
"Everybody was ambushed. I'm a contractor at Nzoia, and I transport cane for them, and still they are shutting down the company without telling me because my tractor drivers are the ones who alerted me that the ownership of the factory has changed," Omtatah stated.
Nzoia Sugar Factory is among the four factories the government is in the process of leasing in a bid to revive the country's sugar sector.
So far, Nzoia Sugar Company has been awarded to West Kenya Sugar Company, Chemilil to Kibos Sugar & Allied Industries, Sony Sugar to Busia Sugar Industry Ltd, and Muhoroni to West Valley Sugar Company.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, May 13, the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe, denied claims that the government had sold the factories to private investors and asserted that the leasing process was transparent.
The CS, whose comments come following concerns from other leaders in the western regions, including governors, dismissed reports that the leasing of the companies was opaque, insisting that all stakeholders in the sugar factories were involved.
''No sugar factory has been sold. It’s leasing that has been done, and Parliament approved the whole process. I dismiss assertions that the process was opaque, considering all stakeholders were involved," the CS said.
