Chemelil Sugar workers down tools, demand Ksh 850M in arrears

Chemelil Sugar Company (CSC) workers in Kisumu County brought operations to a standstill demanding payment of Ksh 850 million arrears owed to them and removal of the Managing Director (MD), Gabriel Nyangweso and his team.

The irate workers who camped out of the company premises accused Nyangweso and the entire management of persistently changing the goalposts every time they raised pertinent issues that dogged them as they go about their work.

Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation Workers (KUSPW) Secretary-General, Francis Wangara accused Nyangweso and the firm’s Financial Controller, Emmanuel Ngalo of having thrown the spanner in the works after they failed to implement an earlier agreement.

Wangara told KNA that trouble started when the earlier forum presided over by Anne Nyaga the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives which resolved that the duo; Nyangweso and Ngalo proceed on leave.

This, he said, was to pave the way for proper investigations over allegations of corruption against the duo but the workers were astonished to learn this morning that they sneaked back into the sugar firm before official communication from the Ministry of Sugar Directorate.

“Chemelil workers are disturbed that those tainted with allegations of corruption are being forced on them. Nyangweso argued that they were allowed access into the sugar firm yet they sneaked their way in without following proper protocol,” posed Wangara.

The KUSPW Secretary-General said it was unfortunate that Chemelil management owed workers Ksh 850 million salary arrears over a period of 42 months but opted to start paying the same in bits starting with 30% before raising it to 50 per cent after three months.

He wondered how the workers were expected to survive with the paltry salary considering that the sugar sector was also hit hardest by the Covid 19 pandemic and other economic hardships such as the total collapse of other sugar firms: Miwani and Muhoroni (under receivership).

Wangara said stakeholders held a series of meetings in which they appealed to Chemelil management to consider carrying out casual maintenance to improve their production by way of fixing the rollers they had bought instead of waiting for national government funding.

He also apportioned blame to the head of Kenya Sugar Directorate, Willis Audi accusing the organization of being the stumbling block to efforts aimed at reviving the sugar industry back to profit-making and ensuring that farmers start earning from their sweat.

The KUSPW Secretary-General singled out Audi for having reassured the earlier meeting that the duo would proceed on compulsory leave immediately at the time only for them to reappear mysteriously this morning at the sugar firm without any proper explanation.

By the time of going to the press, Muhoroni Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Benedict Munywoki told KNA that he was in a meeting with the KUSPW officials as the first step towards restoring order at Chemelil sugar firm before it could spiral into a bigger problem.

Munywoki promised to give a more detailed report on the protracted matter after listening to both sides of the protagonists.

Even so, Wangara emphasized that nothing will change the decision unless the sugar firm prioritizes payment of the workers’ salary arrears within the shortest time possible.