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Operations at Mumias Sugar Company could resume as early as this weekend.

The company’s receiver manager who  was  appointed by Kenya Commercial Bank to oversee its revival,  Ponangipalli Venketa Ramana Rao said plans to resume operations had been put on course when  the Kenya Power restored power that it had disconnected almost 20 months ago.

Rao disclosed that a Kenya Power team had visited the factory to inspect transformers before reconnecting its electricity supply.

Rao said with the reconnection of power, the miller is scheduled to resume production of ethanol.

“We are now set to start operations any time from this weekend. So far we are happy to note that everything is moving according to plans,” Rao said.

Final touches

The miller has been buying bagasse and molasses from the privately-run Butali Sugar Mills to start production and generate revenue for buying raw materials from farmers.

For the better of yesterday, the top managers were locked in a meeting to put the final touches on the resumption of operations.

Management officials at the factory were on Wednesday locked in a meeting to review ongoing preparations for ethanol production.

The collapse  the  sugar milling firm has caused friction between local leaders and the government with the former accusing the latter of ignoring the flight of the economic welfare of the region.

At one time, Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya threatened to lead the locals to take over the management of the company. And early this week, local leaders ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula had planned a rally at the sugar firm premises to push for its revival in a bid to counter a Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) forum slated for Kakamega tomorrow.