Sugarcane farmers have criticised the decisions by the government to import sugar to stabilise rising prices.
The National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers termed the announcement by President William Ruto that the government has ordered sugar into the country insensitive to farmers plight in the sector.
“It is sad for sugarcane farmers that the government now wants to make sugar importation a normal thing when Kenya has a comparative advantage in its production,” federation deputy secretary general Simon Wesechere said on Thursday.
He said it was unfortunate that leaders from sugarcane growing regions have been pocketed by sugar barons. He said this has seen them fail to push for enactment of laws and regulations to govern the subsector and instead left farmers on their own.
Wesechere said it is apparent institutions in the subsector have been emasculated and individuals were busy making decisions unilaterally even where public participation should thrive.
“The solution to sugar shortage and corresponding rise in prices Mr President, is not importation but to correct production mistakes ostensibly orchestrated by sugar barons. Let sugarcane institutions and current legal framework to work,” he said.
He said the sustained onslaught against sugar institutions is a selfish move to totally impoverish cane farmers in Kenya and Western region in particular.
“We farmers saw this coming when all private owned mills suddenly declared closure thus holding the subsector at ransom at best but in collusion with sugar barons in government at worst,” he said.
On Wednesday, President Ruto said his administration had ordered sugar imports from outside Comesa market to stabilise the prices. He promised the price of sugar will drop in the next two weeks.
The head of state however said they have already awarded licences for the importation of sugar, and that prices should be going down soon.
"We have been reluctant to import sugar to avoid working against our farmers, but now, in the next two weeks, you will see a difference as we have ordered imports from outside the COMESA market," he added.
He attributed the high prices of the commodity to a shortage of cane in the local and COMESA markets and confusion and fights within the sugar subsector.
The head of state said consultations with the relevant agencies in efforts to streamline the sector are ongoing.
Ruto said his administration was streamlining the sugarcane sector, riddled with confusion and mismanagement for years.
"I agree that there is concern around sugar. We have had confusion and chaos in the whole sugar subsector. Many companies have closed shop because there is no cane to harvest."
The government through Agriculture and Food Authority halted sugar milling across the country three weeks ago for two months to allow cane maturity following a grinding shortage of raw materials.
The halting of milling has triggered fears among the workers of possible job losses.
Yesterday, Wesechere said stoppage of sugar milling was a precursor to sugar importation to by chattels that are micromanaging the sugar sub-sector.