Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has said any politician from Western opposed to plans to revive the Webuye Pan Paper Mills is writing their own political obituary.
He spoke on Monday at Guest House hotel before touring the mill with Rai Group investors. Lusaka said the revival of the mill is for the good of Webuye residents. Anyone against it or questioning the plans will be treated as an enemy of the people, the governor said.
Critics are demanding details of the revival plan and say it may be a ploy to win votes. Lusaka said it is unfortunate that some leaders, instead of congratulating the President for the venture and supporting it, are dragging politics into the revival plans.
“We are wondering why some ‘outsiders’ are mourning more than the bereaved. They don’t understand how loss of this mill has turned Webuye into a ghost town,” he said. Lusaka urged politicians to set aside political differences and unite to ensure the investor brings the giant mill back into operations.
“I grew up in Webuye and I remember Nyange Street with all its booming businesses. This was a very vibrant town. When the mill closed the town also came down,” he said.
“People said Lusaka has sold Pan Paper. We were asking whose it was and to whom we sold it. Was it ours, and at how much did we sell it?”
The governor urged the investors to give jobs to former mill workers and Bungoma county residents.
“What I want to dismiss is people thinking we cannot represent the welfare of our people because we did not call them to State House when we were finalising the deal,” he said.
“We should unite as leaders and revive Pan Paper, open Chwele chicken slaughterhouse, Tongaren miller and Musasa coffee plant. That is the way to bring development in Bungoma.”
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