This archive report was first published on 21 December 2019.
On December 21, 2019, the Kenyan government released Sh153 million to pay outstanding dues to 5,000 sugarcane farmers owed by Nzoia Sugar Company.
The payment, which covers the 2017/18 sugarcane deliveries, is a significant relief to the farmers who had been waiting for their pay.
Nzoia Sugar Company's Managing Director, Michael Makokha, announced the payment in a press statement, stating that 4,977 farmers who missed out on the first payment of Sh579 million disbursed in 2019 would receive their pay.
According to Makokha, the timely payment would curb the cane poaching menace, which had become rife due to delayed payment concerns.
The company has also put in place strategies to clear the remaining outstanding balance of Sh175 million for deliveries made from November 2018 to April 2019 as soon as factory operations resume.
Farmer Florence Naliaka from Kimilili constituency welcomed the gesture, saying the money would enable her meet basic needs and pay school fees for her children early next year.
"The money could not have come at a better time. I was in a tight spot with nowhere to look for financial assistance," Naliaka said.
