Cane farmers want Chemelil sugar company impasses addressed

A section of sugarcane farmers feeding the Chemelil sugar factory with a cane along with other stakeholders is calling for a quick resolution to the management impasse that is risking operations at the state-owned miller. 

The farmers claim the ongoing management standoff at the factory is disrupting their farming activities and causing them financial setbacks.

They threatened to stop the cane supply to the factory should the impasses fail to be addressed.

The aggrieved farmers held a stakeholders’ meeting last week to deliberate on the turn of events that saw their dues unpaid for the last three days.

They made a resolution that was read on their behalf by one of the farmers Tom Okal.

The impasse, according to Okal boils down to a court injunction that barred one Gabriel Nyangweso who has been the factory’s acting managing director since 2017.

The court injunction was sanctioned by a petitioner who claimed that the continued stay in office by Nyangweso in an acting capacity violates the law. 

However, the farmers have cried foul, alleging that some forces are working behind the scene to halt operations at the factory for selfish gain.

Okal noted that they are heading to court to be enjoined in an appeal challenging the removal of Nyagweso as farmers.

Okal added that they are also moving to court to file a case under a certificate of urgency to have the cases set aside to allow Nyangweso back to the office to carry over his duties and facilitate payment to farmers.

“Our interest here is we supply cane we want to be paid. We cut and transport and for every service, we render at the company we want to be paid. His continued stay is jeopardizing all this process.”

The workers want to be enjoined in an appeal case challenging the court decision that declared Nyangweso’s stay in office.

The farmers also stated that they don’t recognize the appointment of Jackeline Kotonya as the acting MD for the next month claiming she previously held some position that saw her fail to pay farmers their arrears.

“We have agreed as farmers that should Mrs Kotonya be put in office by force or by any other means, then we shall not supply cane to this factory,” Okal read the resolutions.

“We cannot go back to where we were from. Farmers during the tenure of Nyangweso received their pay promptly without hitches.”

The farmers also resolved to have meetings with elected leaders from the Nyando sugar belt so as to discuss the issues in a proper way.

They now want the agriculture CS to wade into the matter and bring a lasting solution.