SUGAR WAR DIVIDES LUYIA MPS

BY JEFF OTIENO

Luyia MPs are sharply divided over wars currently bedevelling Mumias Sugar Company Management.

The war which was ignited almost two months ago by the area MP Mr. Ken Washiali over what he alleged as muzzling of farmers over cane prices has instead divided the area legislators.

A clique which at inception were crusading with him have jumped out of his bandwagon describing his quest as driven with malice and personal vendetta.

Mumias Sugar Company is the leading sugar miller in the country and has been vibrant posting hefty profits since its Chief Executive Evans Kidero took the mantle almost six years ago.

Last year courtesy of post election violence coupled with global economic crunch which affected even our national carrier Kenya Airways, the giant American Insurance firm A.I.G among others didn’t spare the miller and they posted abit of lose to the acrimony of the MPs who seems to have given a parochial view.

The Company has of late witnessed incidents of burnt canes purportedly orchestrated by a clique of saboteurs who appears undeterred to ensure the company is crippled financially so that the management can be blamed for not performing.

Sugar barons are also said to be behind the woes bedevelling the miller with allegations that they’ve been behind torching canes owned by the company going the full throttle of even burning it’s nucleaus to create artificial sugar shortage with a view of making a kill.

MPs who are in washialis camp are Silvester Wakoli and Dr. Bonny Khalwale. On the other divide are MPs David Were, Shoita Shitanda, Wickliffe Osundwa, Dr. Oparanya and Chris Okemo who have attributed the woos of farmers to sugar act which must urgently be amended in parliament to end the stalemate.

For reasons which this journalist could not immediately establish, even some Luo MPs have been roped in the war to fight the management of Mumias.

A clique of the said MPs have been having night goat eating sessions with Washiali may be for strategic reasons nowander their dumb silence.

END.

– – –
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:54:58 -0700 [03/27/2009 12:54:58 AM CDT]
From: JEFF
Subject: SUGAR WOOS

By JEFF OTIENO

A lorry believed to be associated with immediate former president Daniel Arap Moi was early this week arrested by the Kisumu Police on suspicion that it was part of syndicate to defraud Kibos Sugar Company.

According to inside sources within the company who talked to the press on condition of anonymity, the truck which is associated with the immediate former president does transport business and was hired by a former Juja MP to buy sugar worth 5.6 million with a fake co-operative banker’s cheque.

The former MP according to the source had instructed his three errand boys to specifically hand over the cheque to a one Mr. Mukun Bat who is the procurement manager.

Stung by previous fraud abortive syndicates and thanks to proper procurement mechanisms, Mukun called the co-operative bank to know the legitimacy where it was confirmed it was a fake banker’s cheque.

At the time of going to press, the truck together with the trio were still in the police custody.

Meanwhile motorists and residents around Miwani Division are up in arms with Police officer in charge of Nyangeta Police post for extorting money from them. They are alleging that the officer even goes to private business premises to sought for vehicles purported not to be conforming to traffic rules where he demands hefty bribes before he releases them.

Morale of his junior officers are also said to low courtesy of his arrogance and endless demands particularly when it approaches weekends.

END

– – –
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:21:23 -0800 [05:21:23 AM CST]
From: JEFF
Subject: MOI’S VEHICLE NABBED IN SUGAR RACKET

By JEFF OTIENO

A fish trader by the name William Ngeso Wate is battling for his life at the Bondo District Hospital after a contingent of five uniformed policemen attached to the Usenge police station battered him.

According to eyewitnesses, the 29 years-old fishmonger was in the company of his wife together with two other friends on 3rd Jan 2009 at 9pm while enroute to a relative’s funeral., the brutal officers accosted them and went the full throttle of robbing him of Ksh 6,700.

His wife and two other friends however managed to sneak their way out from the merciless batterings of these notorious heartless police officers.

William who is a father of four sustained massive soft tissue injuries during the ordeal, surprisingly, the police in a bid to camouflage their dirty tricks are instead contemplating charging the hapless William for resisting arrest and assault amongst other trumped-up charges.

A spot-check by a group of journalists at Bondo District Hospital revealed how since admission, William has not answered any call of nature, a clear manifestation of the magnitude of the battering he received a round his kidney and the upper part of the abdomen, according to a nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity.

William is further having facial and soft-tissue injuries on his lower and upper lips.

More absurd and worrisome even to the hospital fraternity is that despite his poor state of health, William is handcuffed and a police officer by the name Joseph Njoroge who was part of the brutal squad has been assigned 24 hours to keep vigil as if he is a notorious hardcore conduit in the police hit list.

Kisumu based criminal lawyer Sam Onyango who got the plight of this fishmonger, immediately rushed to the hospital and vowed to take stern legal proceedings against the said officers.

Bondo District Medical Officer of Health (MOH) was however not in the station and instead referred the press to the Medical Superintendent who appeared non-committal to talk to the press.

ENDS

– – –
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 04:26:00 -0800 [06:26:00 AM CST]
From: JEFF
Subject: USENGE POLICE ON THE SPOT

BY JEFF OTIENO

RECEIVER MANAGERS CORNERED.

Muhoroni and Miwani joint receiver managers Martin Owiti and Kipngetich K Bett are under siege from enraged farmers and workers who are alleging that their tenure has worsened the fortunes of the two ailing sugar millers instead of resuscitating them as earlier envisaged.

The furious farmers and workers are further accusing the area MP Prof Ayiecho Olweny for siding and lobbying for the retention of the two managers whom they described as ‘under performing and hefty in expenditure.’

During last weeks’ visit by directors from the Kenya Sugar Board it emerged that intense lobbying to retain the duo was the hallmark of everything.

It is interesting and imperative to note that the moribund Muhoroni Sugar Company posted a staggering Ksh338 million in profits last year yet this year there is a dramatic turn around of a whopping loose totaling to Ksh67 million. “Was it a deliberate mechanism by the two receiver managers to hoodwink the government so as to maintain the status quo,” the farmers wondered in a terse statement to the press.

For starters Kipngetich K Bett is a member of Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC ) advisory board thus adding speculation as to the level of conflict of interest to scrutinize the corruption plagued outfit, to the chagrin of farmers who have not been paid their dues totaling to millions and with nobody in sight to lean on.

Some time last year, a tractor belonging to Muhoroni Sugar Company was auctioned in dubious circumstances and later sold to a Kisumu-based lawyer who runs their errands. The tractor in question is currently contracted to Kibos Sugar Factory to transport sugarcane. The alleged sale was done under the pretext of settling an imaginary legal fee the company owed attorneys on court battle in Nyando.

Impeccable sources in the sugar fraternity confided to this journalist that the privatization of the moribund Muhoroni Sugar now hangs in the balance owing to what many stakeholders in the industry attribute to inept management mechanism and lack of goodwill for the two managers whom they accuse of high-handedness and inaccessible.

Stakeholders from the sugar industry are also casting doubts on the future of the two ailing sugar firms which they say would remain on the deathbed unless the current managers are shown the door.

Sources within the Kenya Sugar Board who spoke to this writer on condition of anonymity intimated that the board was sharply divided over the maneuvers by a clique some members who are said to have been compromised by the receiver managers.

“Majority of the board is of the view that the receiver managers should pack and go but a final decision will be made in due course in liaison with the ministry of Agriculture,” said the source.

ENDS

– – –
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:01:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: JEFF
Subject: RECEIVER MANAGERS UNDER SIEGE

By JEEF OTIENO IN KISUMU

Ndhiwa member of parliament who is also an assistant minister for internal security Joshua Orwa Ojode has dismissed claims in a section of the press that his political graph was fast diminishing ahead of the forthcoming Orange Democratic Movement party’s (ODM) grassroots elections.

“I have no time exchanging in the press with political novices operating on the streets of Nairobi, whoever wants to gauge my political might should wait until 2012,” he thundered on telephone.

A group which he described as amorphous has been engaging the MP in endless press battles at the expense of his Ndhiwa voters.

Mr Ojode caused laughter during a recent colourful fundraiser in aid of three churches where a staggering Kshs 4 million was raised with his personal donation of Ksh1.2 million.

“Where are these paper tigers now that we are fundraising,” he gloated amid laughter from the crowd.

In an interesting turn of events Ojode’s rival Mr Ted Odero who unsuccessfully contested for the Ndhiwa seat in the last elections threw his weight behind the minister.

“The people of Ndhiwa are tired of political rhetoric’s let us rally behind Ojode for development during his tenure,” Mr Odero said during a separate telephone interview.

Meanwhile, a Nairobi based communication expert Eng Job Ndege over the weekend helped to raise Ksh100,000 in aid of Manyatta Baptist Church.

Ndege who is the General Manger of ALSAT Company Limited gave a personal donation of Ksh25,000. During the occasion the Eng appealed to the local MP Shakeel Shabir to fulfill his last general election pledges if he is a ‘gentleman’

On education, he urged the community to shun girl child abuse which is rampant in the area adding that he will team with other development partners to facilitate on sensitization to eradicate the negative trend.

ENDS

– – –
Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:17:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: JEFF
Subject: MINISTER SCOFFS AT PRESS REPORTS