The Parliamentary Committee on Implementation inspects ongoing projects
at Chemelil Sugar Company on September 28. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NMG
Sugarcane farmers have lashed out at President Uhuru Kenyatta
for appointing politicians to boards of sugar companies, saying the move
threatens the recovery of the ailing sector.
They said
the move was a clear indication of the government’s lack of commitment
to roar back to life the factories which have been run down due to what
they termed as poor management and financial impropriety.
Kenya
Sugarcane Growers Association (Kesga) general-secretary Richard Ogendo
criticised the government for failing to involve them.
“We
need to see a paradigm shift and involve farmers among other
stakeholders in such boards if the country is to revive some of the
collapsed companies,” he said.
He was speaking during a
fact-finding mission by the National Assembly’s departmental Committee
on Implementation at Chemelil Sugar.
Mr Ogendo cautioned that using state millers to reward political losers will stall reforms in the sector.
He said political interference was the biggest problem affecting
the sector, which in its heyday supported thousands of farmers from the
sugar belt regions.
“It is unfortunate that farmers
continue to suffer at the expense of unscrupulous businessmen who use
people from within to import sugar and repackage them in bags belonging
to local companies while condemning farmers to abject poverty,” said Mr
Ogendo.
But Mr Zedekiah Bundotich, who was appointed as
the chairman of Chemelil Sugar Company, expressed confidence that he
will use his professional background and experience to turn around the
company which has faced myriad of issues.
“As a sales
and marketing expert and a politician, I will use my network to lobby
the government to address the incessant challenges facing critical
stakeholders like the farmers and the staff who are owed huge amounts of
money,” he said.
"I know that the company currently
owes workers and farmers Sh200 million after the government issued a
Sh300 million bailout last year," he said.
Mr Bundotich
unsuccessfully vied for Uasin Gishu governor seat against Jubilee
candidate Jackson Mandago in last year’s general election.
Also
in the Chemelil board are former University of Nairobi student leader
David Osiany, who contested for the Rongo parliamentary seat and lost to
ODM’s Paul Abuor, and Atieno Otieno who vied for Kisumu’s gubernatorial
position on a Jubilee party ticket.
At Sony Sugar
Company, Mr Owino Likowa who served as Migori MP is the chair. Other
politicians in the board include immediate former Awendo MP Jared
K’Opiyo, Nyamira politician James Maganda, Ms Doris Donya from Kisii and
Ms Winnie Njuguna who was Kirinyaga Woman Rep.
Mrs
Anne Anyanga who unsuccessfully vied for Migori governor’s seat in 2013
and 2017 has also been appointed as a board member at Nzoia Sugar
Company.
Mr Ogendo told the committee chaired by Narok
North MP Moitalel ole Kenta to curb irregular importation to protect the
dumping of sugar into the Kenyan market.
The committee
is following up on the report released by the House Agriculture
committee in 2015 to ensure key proposals on how to revive public sugar
mills are implemented.
During their three-day tour of western Kenya, the team visited Mumias, Chemelil, Muhoroni, Miwani and Sony Sugar companies.
Muhoroni
MP Onyango Koyoo called on the government to empower the Kenya National
Trading Corporation to be the only agency allowed to import sugar.
“We should not allow entities and individuals with vested interests to take over the business of sugar importation,” he said.
Chemelil
Sugar MD Gabriel Nyangweso raised concerns that arbitrary importation
of sugar has left them with a growing stockpile of unsold sugar, as
imports undercut local prices.
Mr Kenta assured farmers that the committee will ensure implementation of the 2015 report.
"We
are also going to work with other government agencies like the Assets
Recovery Agency to ensure individuals who plundered public resources
return them," he said.
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