By a Special Correspondent

There are no plans for the establishment on a new sugar processing factory at Riana in Rongo in the near future, according to farmers in the area.

The only plan which is in the pipeline is the construction of a new white sugar plant at Aoch Muga in east Gem Location, Rangwe constituency In Homa-Bay County. The farmers have scathingly criticized the Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno who recently made an announcement that two new factories would take off in the area In January next year.

The farmers, who spoke to this writer and requested for their anonymity, said the MP”s statement has caused a lot of confusion.in the area. NDEGE oriedo in Riana near Opapo is very close to the Awendo-based Sony Sugar company whereas the Kenya Sug to establish a new sugar plant must ensure its continuous source of supplies of raw material which is the sugar cane.

This rule is meant to ensure that there will be no cut-throat scrambling for the raw material. In the case of Riana the area is less than 40 kilometers from the existing sugar plant at Awendo, there fore what the MP has been telling his constituents is a phantom with not an iota of truth.

In the recent past the Ringo MP has been criss-crossing the region telling his constituents that a new sugar plant would be constructed at Riana and that the investors have already intentions on the site and were training dozens of farmers ahead of the construction. He said 124 acres of land has already been set-aside at Riana for the site of the new plant.

One farmer lamented that it could be that the MP is out to sabotage the new project, which is far away away from Riana. The project has already received the blessing of the Homa-Bay governor Cyprian Awiti and his team.

The multi-million project has also received the blessing of the Kenya Sugar Board, which is the official body tasked with with regulating the sugar industry, therefore we really don’t know what the MP is talking about. We have checked through the relevant Ministry and the KSB and discovered that no second sugar plant has been licensed for the area.

ONE farmer from Rongo disclosed that the MP has recently bought and acquired several parcels of land In and around an area called Ndege Oriedo perhaps in anticipation that when the project takes off at Aoch Muga he would be able to make a kill in the re-selling the pieces of land which he had acquired and this is the 124 acre of land, which he has been speaking about.

Ends