Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula has faulted the Jubilee government for playing politics with Nzoia Sugar at the expense of residents.
He said it is illogical for the state to spend millions of shillings on government officers who visit the debt-riddled mill.
Wetang'ula spoke on Tuesday at his Namuyemba village home in Kanduyi.
"We, as Bungoma leaders, understand that on Wednesday the government will be sending a powerful government delegation of about four Cabinet Secretaries led by Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa.
"The delegation coming to Nzoia ostensibly to witness the maintenance of the factory is unnecessary, uncalled for and misguided," he said.
The senator said such a spectacle aims to bolster the Azimio campaigns and is very saddening.
"We want to tell them for free that there is no Azimio in Bungoma or Western. The electorate is tired of the Jubilee government that wants to come back through Azimio," he said.
The Ford Kenya leader said the fortunes of ODM and its surrogate party DAP-K in Western are on the downward slide.
"We as Bungoma leaders want the state to address Nzoia issues without political blinkers. They state should also address other ailing factories in this region, that are on the verge of collapsing," he said.
The senator said Nzoia has been the only source of livelihood.
"Nzoia has been the topic of discussion and we shall keep talking. The mill is at the heart of the more than 12 million people of Bungoma, Kakamega and parts of Trans Nzoia. We shall not allow people to play politics with it,” he said.
Wetang'ula said it’s the only biggest investment after the Webuye paper mill in Bungoma, whose woes needs to be urgently addressed.
The Ford Kenya leader said Nzoia has the largest nuclear in any sugar set up in the country and was at one time the major source of rural employment.
He said as leaders they want the mill to go back to its former prime days before its financial and technical challenges.
Wetang'ula said Nzoia is a government enterprise that needs to be taken care of by the state, who own 98 per cent stake.
He said they want Nzoia farmers to be paid their dues for them to continue producing sugarcane.
"Farmers are facing pains of the high cost of living that has made prices of many essential commodities to skyrocket.
"The government promised to pay all farmers their arrears. They however, send in some little money, leaving huge sums," Wetang'ula said.
The senator said after Kenya Kwanza takes over, they will revamp Nzoia nuclear, the biggest in the country with more than 30,000 hectares (74,131.62 acres).
He also asked the government to constitute a board of directors at the factory for oversight.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
