- Led by the Kenya National Sugarcane Federation Secretary General Killion Osur, they thanked Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi for appointing their own to serve on the AFA board.
- The farmers said they have developing and pending issues in the industry which they believe Ong’ow will champion their interests in the viable sugar industry.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Sugarcane farmers have backed the appointment of Samuel Ong'ow to the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA Directorate Board as their representative.
Led by the Kenya National Sugarcane Federation Secretary General Killion Osur, they thanked Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi for appointing their own to serve on the AFA board.
The farmers said they have developing and pending issues in the industry which they believe Ong’ow will champion their interests in the viable sugar industry.
Ong’ow was picked to represent farmers on the Board and gazetted as an AFA director from the Nyanza sugar belt.
He will serve for three years.
His early appointment was quashed by the High Court of Kenya after a section of farmers questioned the selection criteria.
In a quick rejoinder, Ong’ow said that the body that took him to court on behalf of farmers did not second him to the board and had no legal standing to challenge his new role.
The CS then appointed him to the AFA board after his name was forwarded by the Kisumu Sugar Belt Union.
Farmers' unions have the authority to nominate one of their representatives by consensus to the Agriculture Ministry thereafter, the CS appoints.
The AFA directors are supposed to help regulate the industry and address teething issues affecting cane farmers.
Ong’ow lauded farmers for trusting him and thanked the State for the job, which he pledged to undertake diligently.
“I will do my best to serve the farmers and for the appointing authority. I owe you a debt of gratitude, with farmers behind me, will offset that debt," Ong’ow said
Osur outlined several issues that are currently facing farmers, among them commercialization of the mills to make more profit and clustering of the sugar growing zones.
Others are poor crop prices, cheap imports of sugar, and hefty farm inputs, that over the years have been blamed for causing glut in the local markets.
“We want Ong’ow to address these issues at the board for our benefit as farmers,” Osur said.
He urged farmers to support Ong’ow and also support President William Ruto’s efforts to revamp the sugar sector to make it more vibrant and profitable.
Ruto is committed to seeing the industry revitalized to make it globally competitive especially with sugar-producing countries domiciled in the COMESA trading bloc.
Most of the sugar factories have been grappling with a financial crisis, especially huge debts.
However, the state has written off all the industry’s debts running into billions to pave the way for new strategic investors to take over.
Osur said they are supporting the proposed leasing of the state firms and cautioned other farmers against derailing such viable plans with unnecessary court cases.
“We don’t want any more delays in the leasing process and we reaffirm our commitment to repulse such attempts aimed at reversing farmers' gains by all means,’’ he added.
They want leasing to go on as scheduled by the state.
Already, sugar director boss Jude Chesire said they had invited bids.
Some strategic investors have since visited the mills in their current state in readiness to buy a majority ownership stake when the auction bell rang any time soon.
Chesire said the idea was unstoppable because the industry had to be reformed for the common good of the sugar cane farmers.