Western leaders should shift attention from maize and sugarcane farming to other cash crops like coffee and cotton in order to realize tangible prosperity in the region. This is according to former Minister Musikari Kombo, who has said maize and sugarcane farming have faced their fair share of problems in recent times. He revealed that after the meeting between leaders from the Western region met President Uhuru Kenyata at State House to discuss the issues ailing the sugar sector, he received a message from a concerned Bungoma resident who was puzzled by the insistence on sectors that haven’t produced results in recent times.
Kombo said coffee farming brought prosperity to Bungoma before when it was still a district. However, he said the current prevalent crops shouldn’t be shoved aside, “I’m not saying we don’t discuss these, but leaders should think again and say what can we discuss to bring development and prosperity. Coffee and cotton are among crops that can bring prosperity,” he affirmed.
He said in Central Kenya, some coffee plantations are being removed and houses are being set up in their place, and as a result, Western Kenya can be the go-to region for coffee farming, “The next frontier of coffee in Kenya will be the Western province. Leaders should think about that,” he said.