Mumias Sugar Company. Photo/standardmedia.co.ke
Mumias Sugar Company has embarked on a staff and management reorganization that is likely to see several workers lose their jobs.
The company is also head-hunting for a new chief executive to replace outgoing CEO Errol Johnson.
For a company that was a study case on how to turn around a struggling sugar miller, the story of Mumias Sugar has turned bitter and disappointing.
The sweet success and fat dividends are long gone.
The company desperately needs billions of shillings to help it turn around.
Mumias Sugar is struggling to pay suppliers and workers in a bitter reminder of how the fortunes of the country’s top miller have dwindled.
The company has closed shop for three months, due to what the management said was due to cane shortage and the annual routine maintenance.
A statement signed by the CEO says the closure takes advantage of the prevailing weather conditions for routine repairs and maintenance.
Johnson whose two year term comes to an end in August says the company urgently needs funds to modernize its equipment to enhance crushing capacity.
Mumias Sugar Chair Ken Mulwa further announced the company has embarked on a turnaround strategy that will see many positions scrapped rendering hundreds of workers jobless.
The company will also reorganize its management to make it lean and efficient.