Devolution PS Charles Sunkuli on Sunday promised Transmara sub-county cane farmers that the government would settle Sh83 million owed to them by South Nyanza Sugar Company.
“The government has released money to pay all the farmers and I will talk to Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjiri on the matter as per President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive on all the pending bills,” Sunkuli said.
Speaking during the official opening of Oloontare Christ Gospel Church, more than 50 Sugarcane farmers had appelaed to the governmet to pay them monies owed for more than two years.
Spokesman Moses Nkepen accused the management of the sugar miller of evading responsibility.
“We have been contacting the management and they have been telling us that the state has not released the money to them,” Nkepen said.
He said the farmers needed the money so that they can continue with their farming activities.
“We have been suffering for long and it is now that for the state to act. Personally, Sony Sugar owes me more than Sh5 million and I have now started supplying cane to Transmara Sugar company and Ndiwa,” Nkepen said.
Last week, the company management said it requires Sh400 million to solve acute cash flow problems and called on Parliament to help it secure the funds from the Treasury.
“If we get an injection of Sh400 million our cash flow will increase between 50 and 60 percent and we shall not ask any cent from the public coffers,” Mwita Nyange, board finance committee chair, told the Agriculture Committee of the Senate.
