Striking truck drivers of a contracted firm of Nzoia Sugar Company engaged police in running battles after they blocked Bukembe-Nzoia road today with tractors full of sugar cane.
The drivers who have been striking for over one week have paralysed business at the sugar factory blocking any movement of vehicles entering and coming out of the giant sugar mill.
The scene turned orgy when boda-boda riders joined in to support the police to disperse the drivers who had blocked a 3-kilometer road from Bukembe market to Nzoia sugar factory.
The police threw tear gas canisters at the striking drivers that prompted them to throw stones at the police.
An official with Kenya Union of Sugarcane and Allied Workers Martin Wafula told the press at Nandolia market that the drivers were fighting for the release of their officials who had been arrested and charged in court for assault.
The thirst to recruit members to join two unions at Nzoia sugar has turned out to be a war between the drivers and factory management.
Wafula said that what started as campaign exercise to recruit members to the Kenya Union of Sugarcane plantation of allied workers and Cane Transport allied Union has turned orgy for the company who is counting losses after truck drivers bunged up delivering cane for crushing.
Problems started after the union officials engaged in physical fighting that saw two of the Kenya Cane Transport Allied Union Christopher Kong’ani chairman and Joseph Khaemba secretary arrested and charged with assaulting chairman of Kenya Union of Sugarcane and Allied Workers Mac Donald Wamocha.
This prompted a strike by truck drivers that has last for over one-week paralyzing operations at the sugar firm.
The two Unions are fighting over recruitment to their union casual workers working at the sugar factory.
Speaking to the press in his office, Nzoia Sugar Public Relations officer Gilbert Awino distanced the company from the mayhem adding that the drivers are workers of a contracted company and Nzoia Sugar has no business with what was happening.
He, however, denied that operations have been paralysed even as trucks used to block the road had undelivered sugarcane, “we have enough sugar in place and the machine is still crashing so we have not been affected as such but we hope all goes well soon” he added.
A farmer Mr. Wilfred Nyongesa at Nandolia village told www.westfm.co.ke that his cane has stayed in the farm for one week after truck drivers started striking one week ago worried that the cane might lose value.
“I don’t know what I will do because my cane has been cut it is now a week and the truck drivers are on strike while I was expecting that the cane will be collected in time, now it is being stolen in the farm, I don’t know who will compensate us, we wish that the wrangles be brought to an end to save farmers like me” he said.