Chitago-Borabu MCA has slammed the slow process of revamping the sugar sector by the Kisii county government and threatened to express dissatisfaction by organising peaceful demonstrations.
Speaking at his Kisii town offices, Albert Oino said he was astonished with the slow response of the county machinery in improving the roads in South Mugirango sugar belt, months after raising the issue at the County Assembly.
Oino said the county government had reverted to Public Relations exercises and ignored tackling real problems affecting the people from the sugar belt region.
“Sometimes I am disappointed that we can raise issues for several times without seeing actual changes on the ground. It’s sad that the county government has reverted to PR activities on that fundamental issue with little being done to address the plight of our people on the ground,” he said.
The MCA said sugar farmers were being taxed huge amounts of money by the neighboring Trans Mara and Sony Sugar companies due to poor road networks in the region.
“The issue has remained the same, poor roads leading to high transportation charges by sugarcane companies which revert to imposing the cost on poor peasant farmers. We want immediate action by the county government and I wonder whether they are waiting for us to picket,” he said.
He criticised the general performance of the county government and said the leadership had only constructed roads in urban centers, ignoring interior parts.
“The road networks in urban centers are in good condition but the same is worsening in rural areas that are highly productive. The leadership must address this marginalization for prosperity of our county. Sugar farmers cannot take this anymore,” he said.