Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
The 351,000 strong members of the Kenya Sugar Cane Growers Association {KESGA} have appealed to the government to speed up the privatization process within the sugar industry.
The Association’s Chief Executive Officer Francis Waswa Mungo charged that cartels of sugar barons are known to be secretly sabotaging the planned privatization of the state-owned sugar mills.
And as the result KESGA has petitioned the two principals of the coalition government President Mwai Kibaki and the Prim Minister Raila Odinga urging them to fast track the privatization process.
Speaking in Kisumu Mungo said only privatization would led to the reduction in the cost of sugar production in the country which is the highest. There cannot be another extension,” we can no longer bend the rules and government must implement the privatization of Nzoia, Sony,Chemelil, Miwani and Muhoroni sugar companies.
The exercise he said would eventually benefit 10 million people in Nyanza, Western and in the lower parts of the Rift Valley regions.“ The people have been exploited and ignored in the past.”
He accused the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture Dr.Romano Koome and the Kenya Sugar Board for dragging their feet over the question privatization of state owned sugar companies.
“As a matter of fact and utmost urgency, the two principals in the government should fire PS Koome and put in place a substantive CEO at the KSB to have the process move forward quickly,” he suggested.
He said KESGA which a membership sugar cane growers, will strongly resist attempt by the cartel of sugar barons, certain powerful politicians and millers to derail the privatization aimed at reducing the cost of sugar production from the present Kshs 60,000 per tone down to about Kshs 30,000 per tone.
The Kesga CEO took issues with local sugar millers for underpaying farmers while spending lavishly in advertisements about their ready made sugar products.
Mungo alleged that powerful cartel with intent on sabotaging the economies of Nyanza, Western and Rift Valley regions by arms twisting the privatization and were planning a looting spree in the sugar mills to bring about the collapse to frustrate cane farmers so that the President and the Prime Minister take a painful decision of dumping them out of government now.
He said that in the present state owned sugar mills were over staffed by unqualified relatives of top managers, politicians and all the management pondered to the whims of powerful politicians. But when privatized the mill will operate with optimum staff level adopt better technology and increase efficiency.
He demanded that the farmers who have been ignored by the government and its agencies be consulted on the issue of privatization because they are the suppliers of raw material which the millers thrives on.
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