MPs engage stakeholders to end sugar industry woes

Departmental committees of Finance and Planning and that of Agriculture and Livestock are racing against time to receive proposals from the stakeholders before tabling the report in parliament for a legislative framework to inject life into the troubled mills.

Molo Mp Kuria Kimani who chairs the Finance and National Planning committee says the joint committees are keen on coming up with proposals that will have the interest of sugarcane farmers at the forefront as the state seeks to rejuvenate the sugar mills.

Kimani says the committees will rely on the memorandum from the treasury that has also detailed the arrears that the state mills owe the government adding that the committee will later also have sessions with KRA, Treasury, and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Tigania West MP John Mutunga, who is the chairman of the Agriculture and Livestock Committee, says they will recommend action for individuals who were running the state-owned mills whose action or inaction led to their collapse.

Mutunga says the sugar mills are embroiled in huge problems including poor governance, mismanagement of resources, and non-performance adding that the joint committees will seek to prescribe a cure after meeting the stakeholders.

According to Treasury, Chemelil owes Ksh.9.9 B, Sony Sugar Ksh.7.3B, Miwani 20.5 B, Nzoia Ksh.62.9B, and Muhoroni Ksh.26.1B. This adds up to Ksh.128 B and another Ksh.55B in tax arrears.

The joint committee on Tuesday met Governors, Senators, MPs, and MCAs and are today set to meet farmers and management of the state-owned mills.

Legislators present in the meeting held in Kisumu included Muhoroni MP Onyango Koyoo, Awendo MP Walter Owino and Kakamega deputy Governor Ayub Savula among others.