Cane farmers to wait longer for Sh2.6b after Uhuru order : The Standard

Sugarcane farmers in Western Kenya are yet to receive the Sh2.6 billion owed to them two months after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed Treasury to release the money. President Uhuru Kenyatta gave the order on October 20 last year, and told Treasury CS Henry Rotich and Agriculture’s Mwangi Kiunjuri to ensure farmers were paid. Yesterday, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who co-chairs the task-force seeking reforms in the sugar sector with Mr Kiunjuri, said farmers were yet to receive the money. “Farmers should have been paid their dues by December 15. However, this did not happen and has slowed down the work of the task-force that was to facilitate payment of farmers by State-owned millers,” said Mr Oparanya. 

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He dismissed claims that the funds were released but the task-force had not been able to identify beneficiaries. “Some people have been peddling rumours that Treasury released the money, through our county account. There is no truth in that. I urge farmers to remain patient. “We shall make sure farmers who made deliveries to these sugar factories receive their dues when the money is finally released,” said Oparanya. This came as farmers in Kisumu threatened to stop supplying local sugar factories with cane if they were not paid in the next one week.  Implement order

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They accused Treasury officials, who they said were keen on derailing Uhuru’s development agenda, of failing to implement his order. Kenya Sugarcane and Allied Products chairman Charles Atyang’ said they would stop supplying cane to State millers. “Private millers have been paying farmers within a week or two of making deliveries. Why have public sugar factories refused to pay farmers? Even worse, why has the Treasury refused to heed a presidential decree and release the money to farmers?” Mr Atyang’ said yesterday. He added: “We have been waiting for the money since the President issued the directive to no avail. Maybe time has come for all public sugar factories to be privatised. “We want to know why farmers are yet to be paid. We supplied cane and it was crashed and sugar and other products sold. Where are the proceeds? This is corruption.” 

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Muhoroni MP James Koyoo said cane farmers were struggling to make ends meet after millers failed to pay them. “This is too sad. Some farmers are unable to take their children to school because they have not been paid. Some of them have no other source of income,” said Mr Koyoo. Farmers in Awendo have recently protested delayed payment of Sh2.5 billion they are owed.

Related Topics

Sugar IndustrySugarcan farmersPresident Uhuru Kenyatta