LREB Seeks to revive sugar sector as sugarcane farmers say No to zoning.

 LREB Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya{seated in the middle with a tie} address the press in Kisumu on resolutions made by various stakeholders to help in reviving the sugar sector in the larger western Kenya region-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

October 12, 2018.

LREB Seeks to revive sugar sector as sugarcane farmers say No to zoning.

THE Lake Region Economic Bloc has embarked on a mission to revive the Sugar sector in the larger Western Kenya region.

In a meeting  held in Kisumu on Thursday convened by LREB together with the Kenya Sugar Millers Association, the Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, Sugar Campaign for Change, Representatives of County Governments within LREB and the Agriculture Food Authority, it has been resolved that the public Sugar Companies shall seek strategic partners for capital injection.

“The National and the County Governments and Privatization Commission will collaborate developing the roadmap for the revitalization of the public sugar companies which will include identification of strategic Advisors and strategic partners,” said LREB Chairman, Wickliffe Oparanya who read the resolutions on behalf of all the stakeholders.

The meeting also resolved that the Sugar Development Levy be reintroduced to facilitate cane research, cane development and infrastructure development.

The stakeholders also resolved that licensing be undertaken through the consultation and concurrence of both the National and County Governments as well as having both the national and County Government intervening in the revival of the all the collapsed state-owned sugar companies.

They have also resolved that the sugar importation be restricted to the provisions of COMESA Trade Agreement as well as the re-establishment of the Sugar Arbitration Tribunal.

The stakeholders further resolved that a committee comprising of the following representation be appointed to steer the implementation process of the resolutions. The Committee includes the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Council of Governors, Parliament Representatives from the sugar can growing areas, the National Treasury and Privatization Commission.

However, a section of the sugar cane farmers who attended the meeting vehemently opposed to the issue of zoning sugar cane growing areas terming it as a move to deny them an opportunity to sell their sugar cane to any miller of their choice.

They say the practice has been there since time immemorial but has never succeeded in any way hence will not succeed this time round too.

“There is no way the government is telling us that the issue of zoning is being re-introduced and this is not a good idea at all because it is going to deny us the opportunity for free market to sell our product to the miller we want,” they say.

They want the Government to leave sugar cane farmers alone to grow the crop and sell it to the sugar factory they wish to give.

The Lake Region Economic Bloc {LREB} is a conglomerate of fourteen counties which have integrated for purposes of socio-economic development and regional prosperity.

The 14 Counties have similar ecological zones and natural resources; they have analogous cultural histories that date back to historical migrations and trading routes.

The 14 Counties under the bloc include Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Kericho, Nandi, Bomet, Trans Nzoia, Vihiga, Kakamega,Bungoma and Busia.

A partnership between the counties is both essential and timely and creates a practical framework through which county government efforts can be pooled to harness the abundant natural resources, build on existing strengths and address challenges.

LREB’s economic Blueprint was born out of the understanding that strategic connections between counties with shared interest seated in a desire for mutual benefit can be an effective intelligent means of increasing the possibility of creating notable development impact across several counties.

It has a vision of being a world class bloc in promotion of sustainable, equitable socio-economic development for a better life while its mission is to achieve sustainable development through coordination, promotion, resource mobilization, innovation and enhancement of equitable economic integration in the Lake region.

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