Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa now wants residents in the county to invest more in sugarcane planting as millers suspend production for the next four months.
Barasa said the suspension of milling will have a negative impact on households that depend on sugarcane farming as a source of income.
“There was an order suspending milling of cane for the next four months. Particularly here in Mumias, the investor who was given the lease has been here for a year and a half but we are yet to see any progress,” Barasa said.
Barasa was speaking when he attended the burial of the late John Wesonga who until his demise, was the second national vice chairman of Kenya National Union of Teachers.
“When you look at Mumias we have Ethanol, we had a bottling company which was there, cogent but there is nothing impactful happening to those products so this means the investor is struggling,” he said.
Further, he noted that out of the available 15,000 acres of land owned by Mumias Sugar, only 500 acres have been put to use.
Deputy Governor Ayub Savula called on the Kenya Kwanza administration to address the high cost of living by repealing the Finance Act whose suspension has been lifted.
“Kenyans have homes so the introduction of Housing levy to civil servants is not a priority to the already overburdened Mwananchi. The President needs to find alternative funds to construct homes for Kenyans staying in slums,” Savula said.
