As millers suspend production for the next four months, Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa wants residents to invest more in sugarcane planting.
According to Barasa, the milling halt will have a negative impact on households that rely on sugarcane farming for a living.
“An order was issued to halt cane milling for the next four months.” “The investor who was given the lease has been here for a year and a half, especially in Mumias, but we have yet to see any progress,” Barasa said.
Barasa was speaking when he attended the burial of the late John Wesonga who until his demise, was the second national vice chairman of Kenya National Union of Teachers.
“When you look at Mumias we have Ethanol, we had a bottling company which was there, cogent but there is nothing impactful happening to those products so this means the investor is struggling,” he said.
Further, he noted that out of the available 15,000 acres of land owned by Mumias Sugar, only 500 acres have been put to use.
Deputy Governor Ayub Savula called on the Kenya Kwanza administration to address the high cost of living by repealing the Finance Act whose suspension has been lifted.
