KENYA: RANGWE MP PLEADS WITH HIS COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSED SUGAR MILL IN HIS CONSTITUENCY.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo in Homa-Bay own.

Poverty index in Rangwe constituency in general and Homa-BAY County in particular is the highest, and means and ways must be found of stamping out the abject of poverty in the area. And the only sensible and quickest way of enhancing the purchasing power of the locals is for the elected leaders in the region to support the proposed white sugar mill slated to be established in Rangwe as soon as the government give its okay for the project to start.

These views were expressed by the Rangwe MP George Oner at the weekend. Speaking during an exclusive interview with this writer in Kisumu city. He expressed the home that his fellow legislators fro the region, MCAS professionals, businessmen, traders and rural folks will join him in supporting the noble project which is said at lifting the standard of living of the residents of the regions involved.

The MP said the project has received wider support and unanimous blessing and backing from the County governments of Homa-Bay, Migori and Kisii. On completion and during its operational, the proposed new white sugar processing mills to be located at Aoch Muga in Gem West Location, Homa-Bay district will receive the bulk its raw cane material from Homa-Bay at the rate of 9 per cent, and 10 per cent from Migori, and Ndhiwa as well as the same percentage from the southern part of kisii and Kasipul constituency.

The youthful MP said the new mill will enhanced the income of the rural farming population in the region because there will be better schools, better and modernized health facilities such as private, hospitals. Rural farmer will have an easy access to market for their farm products next door as the purchasing power of the locals would be enhanced considerably.

The MP thanked the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Felix Kosgei who made an extensive toured the region on July 6th and personally listened to the pleas of the farmers and their cries for the project. The MP said he was too optimistic that president Uhuru Kenyatta’s government would soon sanctioned the licensing of the project so that the construction of the mill to start the earliest, and that the CS Kosgei would soon return to Homa-Bay County to officially officiate I the groundbreaking ceremony so that the construction work on the new mill could start immediately.

The MP also thanked the CEO of the Kenya sugar board Rosemary Mkok who accompanied the Agriculture CS Kosgei during his tour and the representative of the HOMA-bayanbd MIGORI county governments. H was also thankful to governors Cyprian Awiti of Homa-Bay and Zachary Okoth Obado of Migori county for the blessing of the new sugar project. He said the feasibility studies of the projects were completed several years ago. The developers had strictly observed the rules and regulations lay down by the KSB which stipulates that those intending to establish new sugar factory must ensure that the new facility is located in a location which is 40 kilometers apart from the existing factory in distance. In the case of the Rangwe project, it will be located about 46 kilometers from Sukari Industries in Ndhiwa and 41 kilometers from the Awendo based SONYSUGAR factory.

The MP, however, strongly abhorred the alleged secret maneuvers by an unnamed senior politician from the region who is reported to have raised an objection against the licensing of the new sugar mill under the pretext of flimsy and lame excuses, adding that such a leader should be classified and isolated as someone who is anti-development character.

Unemployment in our region is the highest and anyone who has the capacity of putting up a project of this magnitude should be highly appreciated and give the necessary assistance.

Meanwhile the former vice chairman f the defunct County council of the greater Southern Nyanza EX-Coun, Elisha Adeny Rachilo has threatened that he would mobilize about 100 elders from the region to travel to Nairobi and visit State house to petition President Uhuru Kenyatta and ask him to intervene on the matter with the view to ensure that the Homa-Bay sugar mill is licensed as soon as possible should there be any further delay in granting of the same.

Speaking on a different forum Ex Coun Adeny Rachilo said that the rate of unemployment among the youth in the region has reached an alarming proportion and because President Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto are known to be totally committed to economically empowering the youth of this country his team would request the President to visit the region and see for himself what his people on the ground are saying about this most important economic project, the only one of its kind I the vast region.

Meanwhile this writer made an extensive visit to Hom-Bay and Migori Counties over the weekend and conducted interviews with the stakeholders, politicians and opinion leaders who appeared to be unanimous in support of the Rngwe sugar mill project.

The writer visited Rongo, Awendo and Migori towns and wound up in Oyugis. The surety revealed that there would be close to 30,000 hectors of land readily available to be used as sugar cane growing zones, in areas covering Kodera and kotieno in Ksipul. Kagan nd Gongo Locations, Gem Central east and South locations ,Kamagambo West, north,Kitutu Chache South and North Bonchari and south Mugirango regiona. All these areas are potential for sugar cane growing and could produce as many as 60,000 hectare of sugar cane growing potential area which will br sufficient to sustain a larger sugar mill.

Ends.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *