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President William Ruto has assured sugarcane farmers in the Nyanza and Western regions that plans are underway to clear pending payments before the end of the year.

Speaking in Migori on Sunday, October 8, the Head of State said the Ksh860 million owed to farmers would be paid before December as part of efforts to revive the ailing sector.

“I know sugar companies here owe farmers some Ksh860 million. I will go look for that money, and we will be back here to pay farmers before December,” President Ruto said.

At the same time, President Ruto vowed to deal ruthlessly with persons behind the collapse of public sugar millers in the country.

Sugarcane farmers interests

He affirmed that the government would prioritise farmers’ interests to boost their income.

“We cannot continue pouring public money into a hole. Farmers have given their produce and it has been processed and then they are not paid,” President Ruto added.

“We want to give a warning to the people who have taken the sugar sector hostage…the people who normally go to court to block any meaningful transformation of our sugarcane sector that this time round tutaonana macho kwa macho. We can’t continue like that.”

Ruto, who is on a four-day tour of the Nyanza region, reiterated that the government’s move to write off Ksh117 billion debt owed by five State-owned sugar companies would boost the sector.

The millers are Nzoia Sugar, Chemelil, Miwani (in receivership), Muhoroni (in receivership), South Nyanza Sugar Company (Sony Sugar), and Mumias Sugar Company (in receivership).