BY: JEFF OTIENO

Kibos Sugar Industry is to generate 25 mega watts of power out of which 22 mega watts will go to the National grid.

The fast growing Sugar firm is currently producing 3 mega watts for its own use but in a couple of weeks it will go the full throttle to attain the ambitious plan.

Speaking to journalists, the Managing Director Raju Channan revealed that already a foreign consultant has been contracted to ensure the plan is done within the stipulated time frame.

The move will be a boost to the power industry which is currently bedeviled with outages and rationing courtesy of the draught which has affected water levels in major dams.

Kibos Sugar last week officially launched an ultra modern weigh bridge where farmers will weigh their produce at their door step instead of travelling several miles which has always resulted in hefty costs and spillages.

A tone of sugar cane will be paid Kshs. 3000 within a week instead of Kshs 2,900 being paid by other local millers within a period of between 4 to 5 months.

The move early this week sparked fury and protests from other millers who wrote to Kenya Sugar Board to restrain Kibos from using the facility arguing that it’s tantamount to “Poaching”.

Local transporters who have also taken advantage of farmers have also protested bitterly about the location of the weigh bridge which is at Awasi in Nyando District.

Speaking to the press separately during the launching, a group of exuberant farmers in attendance described rival millers out bursts as an exhibition of ineptitude to compete in the now competitive liberalized market.

“Its unfortunate that under performing Managers of some of these firms are now clinging on the weigh bridge issue to divert people’s attention to scrutinize them on their luck warm performance”, the farmers noted.

Kibos which resumed crushing after a month long maintenance used over 400 million in repairs and has a capacity to crush 1,650 tonnes per day.

It’s the first sugar industry to implement a recent ministerial directive which require that each and every miller install a weigh bridge within the farmers reach to avoid spillage and whopping costs which have been a burden to farmers.

Players in the industry are therefore watching what action the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) will take against the miller which seems to be implementing a new policy they recently crafted to benefit the farmers.

All the three firms Kibos, Chemilil and the financially crippled Muhoroni Sugar are located in Nyando District

END
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From: JEFF
Date: Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 2:46 AM
Subject: KIBOS SUGAR TO GENERATE POWER