Sugarcane farmers within Nyando sugar belt region have voiced reservations in the pending privatisation of government-owned mills.
The farmers who gave their views before the Privatisation Commission at Chemelil Sugar Factory say the process is shrouded in mystery. They said there is no farmer representation in the Commission to carter for the interests of the farmers.
A famer, Martin Balala, said lack of farmers’ representation will make the process not to be owned by the farmers.
Balala said the commission must include representatives of the farmers to be able to come up with a process that will not be disowned by the farmers.
“This process must include farmers lest we disowned it at some level. We want farmers’ representation from both Kisumu and Nandi counties,” he said.
Another farmer, Samuel Bonyo, questioned why the government plans to merge sugar factories within the sugar belt as one entity.
He said farmers want the factories not to be merged during the privatisation but to be sold independently.
Bonyo said the commission is proposing one sugar factory within the belt so that the rest should be cane collection points, proposal farmers opposed.
“We as farmers we will reject any plans to merge factories within this sugar belt as that will limit farmers on where to take their cane,” he said.
The Commission Executive Director Solomon Kitungu confirmed that there was a cabinet approval to merge two factories.
Kitungu said the plan is to merge Chemelil and Muhoroni sugar factories during the bidding process to get the strategic investor.