The recent plans to privatise South Nyanza sugar miller(Sony) continues to elicit mixed reactions from leaders drawn from the sugar belt who now want the government to hand the factory to the County government of Migori.
Salaries and Renemurion Commissioner (SRC) Dalmas Otieno is the latest leader to wade into the matter castigating the national government for the privatization deal without bringing on board all stakeholders.
Otieno who was speaking at a funeral in Kadika, Migori County said that he plans to privatise the miller was ill-advised and meant to impoverish the local communities who growing sugarcane in the region.
The former Rongo Member of Parliament took a swipe on President Kenyatta’s administration for letting the factor run on accrued debts before auctioning it at a time when it was almost crumbling.
He said the miller should be left for the county government to manage if the government were unable to run the company.
He urged the leaders to stand up in the quest that would see the factory handed to the County government.
“The issue of management at Sony sugar is not light as most leaders have made it appear because the livelihood of our people rests with this factory. I would, therefore, urge our leaders to meet the President and address this issue on a proper note.” He said.
Otieno noted that the government was not keen on improving agriculture in the sugar belt following the collapse of other sugar millers in the Western region.
“All the eight government-owned sugar millers are struggling with ballooning debts making operations in the factories an uphill task. Look at the current states of Mumias, Butali, Nzoia, Muhoroni, Chemelil and even Sony. There are no operations going on and it's high time the government handed these factories to the respective county governments because agriculture is a devolved function," he added.
His sentiments were echoed by Awendo MP Walter Owino who insisted that farmers should be incorporated in managing the sugar sector as they were the main stakeholders in the industry.
“Let 25% of the shares be handed to the counties where the factories are situated, 25% to the counties and the remaining 50% to the private investor who will take over the affairs at Sony,” he noted.