Laboso defends planned milk plant : The Standard

Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso has defended plans to set up a Sh45 million milk processing plant in Chepalungu. She has said the plan was not to bring down the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries plant in Sotik but to provide an alternative for local dairy farmers. “We are not in any way targeting KCC factory, we just want to empower our farmers and give them an alternative in the sale of their milk,” Ms Laboso said. Sotik KCC is the only milk processing plant in the region and the recent announcement by Laboso to partner with World Vision to set up a factory has prompted a heated debate with farmers saying the plans may ground the KCC plant.

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Laboso’s administration has already started grouping dairy farmers in cooperative societies to ease collection of milk for processing at the plant. The factory is to be set up at Chebunyo area in Chepalungu Sub-County. Bomet County Dairy Union chairman Richard Mibei welcomed the idea. He said the plant would help in shaping milk prices, saying the local farmers have been exploited for long. “This is a chance for dairy farmers in Bomet to earn decent money from their produce. We should (ignore) those trying to politicise the plans for selfish interest,” said Mr Mibei, adding that they would stand with the county government.

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He said the plant has come as a tool for local farmers to do value addition for their milk before selling it. “The Government has been pitching for value addition and this is our chance to ensure maximum returns from our produce,” added Mibei. Mibei said they have brought together more than 500 cooperative societies in the county to form the dairy union in readiness to utilise the milk processing plant.

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Related Topics

Joyce LabosoMilk Processing PlantChepalunguKCC FactorySotikRichard Mibei