Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

- Governor Kenneth Lusaka has lashed out at DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa and Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya, accusing them of politicising the leasing of the troubled Nzoia Sugar Company and stoking unrest in the region.

Speaking during a prayer breakfast at the Holygate of Heaven Church in Bungoma on Tuesday, May 13, Lusaka did not mince words as he blamed the two leaders for fuelling protests against the government’s initiative to lease the ailing sugar mill to a strategic investor.

“Don’t light fires in my house to warm your cold politics. We have watched Nzoia rot for years under poor management and political games. Now that there’s a move to revive it, some want to gain political mileage by misleading the public," Lusaka said.

The governor defended the leasing plan, saying it was a necessary step toward restoring operations at the factory and alleviating the longstanding plight of sugarcane farmers and workers, many of whom have gone unpaid for months.

He accused a section of politicians of misinforming the public on the leasing process, arguing that they have failed to present any viable alternatives.

“Where were they when the factory went months without paying workers? When machines broke down and farmers’ cane dried in the fields?” he posed.

Lusaka further urged residents to interrogate the motives behind the recent protests, warning them against being manipulated for political gain.

“Let’s not pretend to care now, just because it’s convenient for advancing their political agenda ahead of the 2027 elections. We should stop politics of hypocrites”

He reassured workers and farmers that the government was working to fast-track the clearance of pending salary and payment arrears, promising that the leasing would provide a long-term solution to the millers' woes.

Meanwhile, a group of cane farmers from the western sugar belt expressed their support for the government's decision to lease Nzoia Sugar Company to tycoon Jaswant Rai for 30 years

Speaking to the press in Webuye town on Monday, May 12, the farmers, who supply cane to both Nzoia Sugar and Rai Group's West Kenya company, voiced their full backing for the leasing agreement, despite opposition from some local leaders.

The farmers argued that privately owned sugar mills in the Western sugar belt are performing better than the state-owned ones.

David Opala, another local cane farmer, echoed these views, highlighting the long-standing issues they have faced due to the decline of Nzoia Sugar Company.

He specifically mentioned delayed payments as a major challenge, which has left them struggling financially.

Source: TUKO.co.ke