2 Governors Spend Ksh700K to Praise Uhuru on Daily Nation

President Uhuru Kenyatta siging a Bill into law at State House in Nairobi, October 13, 2017.
President Uhuru Kenyatta signing a Bill into law at State House in Nairobi, October 13, 2017.
PSCU

Two Governors, Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and his Kisumu counterpart Anyang' Nyong'o on Thursday, July 9, bought up a full-page advert on the Daily Nation praising President Uhuru Kenyatta for the interventions taken to revive the sugar industry in Western Kenya.

In the advert, which is estimated to have cost not less than Ksh700,000, according to the publication's rate card, the county bosses under the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) expressed their satisfaction with the executive's handling of the matter.

"We would like to thank the President, Uhuru Kenyatta for his support and advice that enabled the Sugar Taskforce to come up with far-reaching proposals to help put the industry on a fast path," the notice read in part.

From left: Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, Council of Governor chairman Wycliffe  Oparanya and Trans Nzoia governor Patrick Khaemba address the press in Nairobi on December 16, 2019.
From left: Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, Council of Governor chairman Wycliffe Oparanya and Trans Nzoia governor Patrick Khaemba address the press in Nairobi on December 16, 2019.

The governors also acknowledged ODM leader Raila Odinga for his counsel that helped the task force members prepare the report, recently adopted by the cabinet as the basis for implementing the important policies in the sub-sector.

Agriculture CS Peter Munya announced the ban of all brown sugar imports while canceling all the import licenses.

The government further wrote off Ksh62 billion owed by sugar millers and farmers which the governors noted would take a heavy load from the factories which had depressed productivity for a long time.

"These factories are now attractive to fresh capital investments by the private sector. The banning of the importation has sounded a death knell to cartels which for long have been enemies to the industry," Oparanyah stated. 

The President had on July 1, met Western leaders and discussed ongoing government efforts to revive the ailing sugar sector including the Mumias and Nzoia sugar factories.

The Head of State assured the leaders of the government's commitment to reviving the sector by fast-tracking the implementation of the sugar taskforce report.

President Uhuru Kenyatta signing a ball after meeting with leaders from Western Kenya on July 1, 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta signing a ball after meeting with leaders from Western Kenya on July 1, 2020.
PSCU

The sugar sector revival report generated by a Presidential task force co-chaired by Agriculture CS Peter Munya and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya outlined several interventions among them writing off of debts owed by the millers.

As part of the revival process, the government through the Ministry of Agriculture has already published the sugar sector regulations and is in the process of strengthening the legal framework to anchor sector reforms.

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