Kenyan Senator Boni Khalwale has commended the Kenya Kwanza government for its initiatives aimed at revitalizing the sugar sector in Western Kenya. Speaking on Sunday, the Senate Majority Whip praised President William Ruto’s interventions, noting that they are starting to yield positive results, according to the-star.
Khalwale said that due to three things (mambo ni matatu), those who took Mumias Sugar to court are now nowhere and Butali Sugar is now paying farmers KSh 6,050 per tonne of sugarcane. The phrase “mambo ni matatu” was used by President Ruto as a warning to sugar cartels, offering them three options: going to heaven, facing imprisonment, or being forced out of the country.
According to Khalwale, farmers are now benefiting from Ruto’s efforts. This follows the recent resumption of Nzoia Sugar operations after a closure of over four months due to a lack of mature cane, leaving more than 67,000 sugarcane farmers in uncertainty.
The government had in July 2023, ordered the closure of all local sugar millers to ensure that the sugarcane crops mature. On December 1, sugar factories resumed operations after being shut for harvesting immature cane, bringing relief to sugarcane farmers affected by the Agriculture and Food Authority’s August suspension.
President Ruto’s government has implemented various measures to revive the sugar sub-sector. Kenya has 16 sugar factories, with five – Miwani, Chemelil, Muhoroni (under receivership), Nzoia, and South Nyanza — owned by the government. The government also holds a stake in Mumias Sugar, which is currently under receivership.
Private milling factories include tycoon Jaswant Rai’s West Kenya Sugar Company, West Kenya – Olepito Sugar Unit, Sukari Sugar Industries, Butali Sugar, Kwale International Sugar, Busia Sugar Industry, Soin Sugar Company, and Miwani Sugar.
These millers have faced a severe cane shortage this year, depleting stocks of mature crops and forcing some to crush immature cane. Cane deliveries to the 15 sugar millers in the first eight months dropped by 26.6 percent to 4,112.31 tonnes from 5,600.97 tonnes in August last year, according to national statistics. The shortage has led to high retail sugar prices due to reduced supply, causing local sugar output to decline by over a third in eight months.
