With efforts to revive the ailing sugar sector already underway, Agriculture CS Peter Munya has revoked the the appointment of board members of three prominent sugar companies-Nzoia Sugar Company, Chemelil Sugar Company and Sony Sugar Company, with the former two companies put up for leasing. The revocation of appointments has already been gazetted, “It is notified for the general information of the public that the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives has revoked the appointment of the members of the Board of Nzoia Sugar Company Limited with effect from the 16th July 2020,” read part of the gazette notice 5433 dated 22nd July 2020.
The revocation of appointments of Board members for Chemilil Sugar Company and Sony Sugar Company have also been gazetted. The CS also appointed James Mureu to be a member of the Board of the National Cereals and Produce Board for a period of 3 years effective from 13th July 2020.
By Tuesday, the government said it had received 29 bids from interested companies who are willing to run the state owned sugar mills-Chemelil, Nzoia Sugar, Muhoroni, Miwani and South Nyanza-with local companies among the interested parties. The leasing route was preferred as part of efforts to revive the sugar companies, with a 25 year leasing period set out. The government has also canceled debts owed by the sugar mills, amounting to Kshs 62 billion, coupled with introducing a raft of measures including suspension of brown sugar importation and issuing of brown sugar importation permits.