President William Ruto has announced that sugarcane farmers across the country will begin receiving bonus payments starting October this year, in what he described as a historic first for Kenya’s sugar sector.

Speaking at State House, Nairobi, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, when he met religious leaders from Bungoma County, Ruto said the government had already secured funds that would be distributed to farmers through sugar mills as part of ongoing reforms aimed at reviving the struggling sugar industry.

Ruto said the planned payouts would mark the first time sugarcane farmers in Kenya received bonus payments beyond their normal earnings from cane deliveries.

“Mtaniona Nzoia, mwezi wa kumi, nitakuwa Nzoia kuja kupatiana bonus ya wakulima wa miwa for the first time in the history of sugarcane growing in Kenya,” he said.

The President noted that the bonuses would not replace the normal payments farmers receive for their cane deliveries but would instead serve as additional earnings.

“Na sio ati itakuwa pesa ya kulipa miwa yake, hapana, ya miwa tumemlipa tayari, hii ni bonus tu,” he stated.

Expansion across sugar mills

Ruto said the bonus payouts would not be limited to one region, adding that all sugar factories benefiting from improved revenues would participate in the initiative.

He referenced recent developments at Mumias Sugar Company, where he said bonus payments had already been initiated as part of reforms in the sector.

“Nilikua Mumias kwenda kulipa bonus, lakini hii October all our sugar mills tuko na pesa ambayo imepatikana, tutagawia wakulima,” he said.

Push to revive sugar sector

The announcement comes amid government efforts to revive Kenya’s sugar industry, which has for years struggled with debt, low productivity, delayed farmer payments, and competition from imported sugar.

The Kenya Kwanza administration has repeatedly pledged to restructure sugar factories, improve management, and increase farmer earnings as part of broader agricultural reforms.

In June 2024, Ruto revealed that his government had planned to pay sugarcane farmers bonuses, akin to those in the tea sector.

The announcement was made during his address at the Madaraka Day celebrations held at Masinde Muliro Stadium in Bungoma.

He assured farmers in the sugarbelt regions that the government will ensure prompt payment by millers.

Ruto confirmed that workers in the milling firms would also receive their wages on time, concluding with the introduction of a bonus scheme for sugarcane farmers.

“Mumias is now sorted, and I would like to assure you that in Miwani, Chemelil, and Muhoroni, we are finalising the plans as announced. There will be three key actions: farmers will be paid promptly, workers will receive their wages on time, and, just as we pay bonuses to tea farmers, we will do the same for sugarcane farmers as we implement the plan,” President Ruto announced.