Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o has expressed his fears that the state-owned sugar factories risk collapsing if the recent incidences of traders trading in contraband sugar are not addressed.
Over the last one week, several tones of what is believed to be illegally-imported sugar have been nabbed. And it's on the basis of this that Prof. Nyong'o wants the government to step up its fight against sugar barons who are accused of killing the local sugar industry.
"I would not just say cancel (the license of the firm linked to poisonous sugar), arrest and try," said the Kisumu County Chief during an interview on NTV on Monday.
With the privatization of state-owned sugar factories on the cards, Prof. Nyong'o claims that the alleged sugar barons will now take advantage of that to completely kill the ailing sugar sector.
"It is a major crisis because with privatization in the air, the barons are saying we have an opportunity to sink these factories," said the Governor who has been a key advocate to save the country's sugar sector which has been struggling for the past few years.