Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has lauded the Kenya Kwanza government's efforts to revive the sugar sector in Western Kenya.
The Senate Majority Whip said on Sunday that President William Ruto's interventions have begun to bear fruits.
“Because of the three things (mambo ni matatu), those who had taken Mumias Sugar to court are nowhere to be found… Butali sugar is now paying farmers KSh 6,050 per tonne of sugarcane,” said Khalwale.
Mambo ni matatu was used by President William Ruto as a warning to sugar cartels whom he said had three options- going to heaven, getting jailed or being forced out of the country.
According to Khwalwale farmers are reaping the fruits of Ruto's efforts.
This followed the recent resumption of Nzoia Sugar operations after closure for lack of mature cane that left over 67,000 sugarcane farmers in limbo.
In July 2023, the government ordered the closure of all local sugar millers to allow sugarcane to mature.
On December 1, sugar factories roared back to life more than four months after they were ordered shut for harvesting immature cane.
This was good news for sugar cane farmers who had been hit by the August suspension by the Agriculture and Food Authority which regulates and promotes food crops in the country.
President Ruto's government has advanced a raft of measures aimed at reviving the sugar sub-sector.
Kenya has 16 sugar factories out of which five – Miwani, Chemelil, Muhoroni (under receivership), Nzoia, and South Nyanza — are owned by the government.
The government also has a stake in Mumias Sugar which is now under receivership.
Private milling factories include tycoon Jaswant Rai’s West Kenya Sugar Company, West Kenya – Olepito Sugar Unit, Sukari Sugar Industries.
Other private millers include Butali Sugar, Kwale International Sugar, Busia Sugar Industry, Soin Sugar Company, and Miwani Sugar.
The millers have been facing a severe shortage of cane this year having largely depleted stocks of mature crops that even forced some millers to crush immature cane.
Consequently, 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, figures from the national statistician shows.
The shortage of cane has also resulted in high retail prices of sugar due to a reduced supply of the sweetener as most of the millers remain closed.
Output of sugar from local millers has dropped by over a third in eight months due to a shortage of cane, with the scarcity sharply pushing prices to a record high.