Governor, elders vow to block West Kenya takeover of Mumias ethanol plant

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa and the Wanga Kingdom Council of Elders have vowed to block attempts by the West Kenya Sugar Company to run the ethanol and co-generation plants at Mumias Sugar Company.

At the same time the leaders also warned politicians against being used by sugar cartels to frustrate operations of Mumias Sugar Company after it was successfully revived through  President William Ruto's interventions two years ago.

Speaking at Munami Secondary School in Matungu constituency during an Annual General Meeting last week, the governor maintained that Mumias Sugar Company should run without external interference.

“Mumias can run the two plants and we thank the President for helping in reviving the miller giant and even giving our farmers sugarcane bonus. I want to tell politicians being given money to fight Mumias that West Kenya Sugar Company will not be allowed to run the ethanol and co-gen plants we want our company to manage the complaints and help our farmers and that is what we are going to fight for as leaders,” said Barasa.

Last week, the Wanga Kingdom Council of Elders called on President Ruto to back Mumias Sugar Investor Sarbjit Singh Rai to revive the ethanol and co-gen plants.

They said that Rai, the owner of Sarrai Group, had successfully revived the giant miller. In February, Mumias became the first miller in the country to give farmers bonus.

Wanga Kingdom Council of Elders chair Andrew Okumu, asked West Kenya Sugar Company owner Jaswant Singh Rai to keep off from the affairs of Mumias Sugar Company and the running of the two plants.

Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), which placed the miller under receivership, allowed Jaswant to run the distillery and co-gen plants at the factory.

Jaswant and Rai are at odds following the former’s failed attempt to block the latter from taking over the milling giant. The two are brothers.

The elders urged President Ruto and Governor Barasa to support Rai to ensure revival of the two stalled multi-billion plants.

“Recently we had a crisis, where there were attempts and efforts by a competitor of the Mumias Sugar Company by the name Jaswant Singh Rai of West Kenya Sugar Company to operate the two plants when the company is under receivership and it has been leased to Sarai Group as an investor,” said Okumu.

 “The investor is milling sugar, and in the process, we have two plants that are stalled. We received information that we have an investor who had presented himself from a backdoor to try to run the two plants. We want to thank the management of Mumias, Governor Barasa, lawmakers Peter Salasya and Johnstone Naica, and members of the County Assembly for intervening and preventing further wrangles that were in the offing threatening the revival of the company,” he added.

The elders also declared support for the Sarrai Group, maintaining that they have confidence in him to run the factory and the ethanol and co-gen plants.