This archive report was first published on 22 August 2020.
On August 22, 2020, fourteen governors from counties in the Lake Region Economic bloc (LREB) called on the government to speed up the leasing of five State-owned sugar factories. The move was crucial, they argued, as farmers were suffering and there was no justification for delaying the process.
Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati sparked the debate by stating that some politicians were using farmers to derail the leasing process. He questioned why the government should stall the process now, given that it had already waived Sh62 billion in debts to fast-track the leasing.
The governors supported Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga, who had previously criticized critics of the leasing, terming them 'enemies of farmers and development.' Raila urged organizations representing farmers to withdraw any pending petitions and address their concerns with relevant authorities amicably.
The LREB governors declared their firm support for the leasing of the State-owned factories, which include Miwani, Muhoroni, Chemelil, Sony, and Nzoia. Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, the Council of Governors chairman, revealed that the team had reached out to dissenting voices and had withdrawn their litigation against leasing.
The government, through Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa, had already expressed its commitment to bailing out the sugar firms. Wamalwa stated that the government was serious about the leasing process and did not want to be pulled back by court cases or petitions.
