This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
On August 3, 2020, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya made a crucial move to revamp the management of state-owned sugar factories. In a gazette notice, he revoked the appointments of all members of the boards of these factories, effective July 16, 2020.
The affected sugar factories include Nzoia Sugar Mills in Western, Chemelil Sugar in Nyando, and Sony Sugar in Migori County. However, the notice did not address the fate of Muhoroni/Miwani mill, which is currently under receivership and lacks a board.
The decision has been welcomed by sugarcane stakeholders in the region, led by Richard Ogendo, Secretary-General of the Kenya Sugarcane Growers Association. Ogendo expressed happiness with the move, citing that farmers have long raised concerns about the composition of the board members.
With the boards disbanded, the government has initiated the process of identifying prospective bidders for the five sugar factories. This move is seen as a step towards improving the management and efficiency of these state-owned entities.
