Ruto reveals plans to revive Mumias Sugar Company

Deputy President William Ruto has said that plans are underway to revive the cash-strapped Mumias Sugar Company.

Ruto said that the government has rolled out watertight programmes set to be taken to Parliament that will see a turnaround at the country’s biggest sugar miller.

“We have a programme which has already gone through Parliament to work with the farmers in turning around the fortunes in the sugar industry, including Mumias.”

He said revival plans for the company were started when he was minister for Agriculture but stalled when he left the ministry.

Ruto disclosed that the government had already written off Sh20 million debt for sugarcane farmers, adding it will not relent until the turnaround in the sugar industry is achieved.

“And from this year, sugarcane farmers would benefit from subsidised fertilizer like maize and tea farmers, with farmers buying a bag of fertilizer at Sh1500 instead of Sh4000.”

Ruto accused politicians of gaining political capital out of the misfortunes in the sugar company, saying they should offer solutions to the problem.

“Those playing sugar politics to gain political mileage will not succeed, they are the same people who brought Mumias Sugar to its knees and are now purporting to be championing its cause.”

Two countries, one sugar board

The deputy president made it clear that the cost of sugar production in Uganda and Kenya is the same, adding that the question of dumping cheap sugar in Kenya does not therefore arise.

“It is also not true that the agreement to have Uganda sell its surplus sugar in Kenya was meant to benefit individual businesses as alleged by some politicians,” he said.

“We are going to have a joint sugar board with Uganda to ensure that no cheap sugar from other counties is dumped into the Kenyan market.”

National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale urged politicians to forge friendship with people from other parts of the country to convince other Kenyan communities to support them during elections.

Kindiki cautioned elected leaders against inciting their people by flaring tribal emotions in a bid to gain support, but instead foster unity among Kenyans.

Other leaders present included Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale, MPs David Were (Matungu), Bernard Shinali (Okolomani) and Boniface Otsyula(Bumula).