Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said the move by most of the sugarcane growers to embrace other cash crops starved Mumias Sugar Company of raw materials and contributed to its closure.

“The management of Mumias Sugar has cited lack of raw materials as one of critical issues that compelled them to close shop,” said Oparanya.

“They confided that cane crushing dropped from 8,000 tonnes of cane per day to a paltry 100 tonnes, a move that forced them to suspend operations indefinitely,” said the governor.

He said efforts to revive the ailing sugar miller will succeed only if farmers choose to embrace the cash crop again.

“We have embarked on an ambitious journey to revamp the factory. However, we shall require total commitment from our farmers to be able to make any progress,” Oparanya told journalists in Kakamega town.

According to Oparanya, it would be a waste of time forming committees to come up with a road map for reviving the miller without commitment from farmers to produce raw materials.

“We are determined to ensure Mumias Sugar is back on its feet. And as a county, we shall not stop at anything in realising our goal. Nonetheless, all stakeholders must play a role so that we can achieve it.”

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