Workers at Sony Sugar Company, Muhoroni, and Chemelil factories are set to receive three months’ worth of overdue salary payments totalling Sh454 million, after protests that led to negotiations with the government.

This payment plan is an increase from the initially proposed one-month salary payout. Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Kiprono Ronoh announced that the previously embargoed Sh150 million would now be included in the payout to cover a more substantial portion of the arrears. “We listened to the hue and cry and submitted a fresh budget for approvals and now we are set to disburse the amount in the next one month or two loading,’’ said the PS during a tour of the Kenya sugar belt.

The decision to increase the payout came after workers expressed dissatisfaction with the initial allocation proposed by the Agriculture Food Authority (AFA), leading to a revised budget.

Revised budget

Dr. Ronoh assured the workers that the funds would be disbursed within one to two months, urging them to remain patient during the process. The Sh150 million is part of a broader Sh654 million package issued by the government to clear all outstanding arrears for cane farmers, with Sh354 million already allocated to settle farmer debts.

Of the remaining funds, Sh150 million was initially designated for the Nzoia Sugar Factory workers in a supplementary budget, leaving Sony, Chemelil, and Muhoroni workers with the rest. However, the workers’ union protested this distribution as unfair, prompting the government to reconsider the allocation.

Noah Opiyo, secretary of the Muhoroni branch of the Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Growers, said the arrears were insufficient to meet the needs of the 8,000 workers affected.