Statehouse Spokesperson Kanze Dena has said that the government is working around the clock to come up with ways to salvage the ailing sugar sector in the country.

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Speaking on Friday, Dena said that the government is very much aware of the factors affecting sugarcane farmers, hence President Uhuru Kenyatta's attempts to intervene.

She said that so far, the president has formed a task force to look into the matter, which is already working towards achieving the goals set for it by the Head of State.

However, she advised the affected farmers to focus on other things for the time being, including turning to other crops, as the government looks into their issues.

"It is true the sugar sector is facing serious challenges and as we wait for the task force set up by President Kenyatta to finalize its work, farmers should be open to alternative sources of livelihood including cultivation of other high-value crops," she said in an Interview on West Fm.

This comes at a time when most state mills in Western Kenya have stopped operations, including Mumias Sugar, which was the major source means of survival for persons living around it.

The factory has remained non-operational despite government attempts to revamp it, with the billions that have been pumped in, with the signs of reviving it, not being of any help.

The same is the case in sugar-growing regions of Nyanza, where Miwani and South Nyanza (SoNy)  companies being among those affected.