•The accusations come even as the Ugandan-based miller is facing a court battle challenging its win on the Mumias Sugar tender lease.
•The farmers who assembled at the Sugar mill Monday said they have been left with no market for their sugar following the move.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
A section of farmers in Mumias has accused the Sarrai Group of allegedly outsourcing canes to be processed at the Mumias Sugar factory.
The accusations come even as the Ugandan-based miller is facing a court battle challenging its win on the Mumias Sugar tender lease.
The farmers who assembled at the Sugar mill Monday said they have been left with no market for their sugar following the move.
“As farmers, we have not been involved. When this company was started in 1966, farmers agreed that it was going to help us as locals through the selling of canes and employment of our children," Didmus Mwangala, a farmer, told the press.
“Sarrai has changed the operation mode to our disadvantage. They are buying sugar like onions and we cannot even tell where they are buying them. Our sugarcanes are rotting in our farms.”
The Star, however, could not authenticate whether the Sarrai has stopped buying sugar from locals. We pledge to give their side of the story as soon as we access them for a response.
The farmers said initially, the factory helped them to take their children to school through the sale of Sugarcane but things seem to be taking a wrong turn.
“They have not told farmers how they are planning to run this factory. We are wondering if we really surrendered this company to foreigners or what. We don’t understand,” he added.
The farmers said their children have turned to criminal activities due to a lack of jobs.
“We have taken our children to school and there are no jobs. Some have turned to criminal activities. We have grown canes and we have nowhere to take them. Some of us are widows and we have tried to plant canes but we have nowhere to take them. Poverty is killing us,” Mary Makhoha.
The workers also accused local authorities of colluding with the new management of the mill in worsening their situation.
The group said they have been denied an opportunity to agitate for their rights.
They said last week, Mumias Sugar workers planned a peaceful demonstration, but police dispersed them despite allegedly having a valid authorization letter.
During the Thursday demos, the workers protested the delay in salary payment and accused Sarrai Group of importing workers from Uganda to work.
The workers said they have not been paid for months despite the Uganda-based company purporting to take over operations at the sugar miller.
“We want arrears to be paid immediately. We also want locals to be allowed to work in the company and Ugandans who were brought in by Sarrai to be deported back to their country.
The workers claimed that they had gone for months without pay despite reports of the Uganda-based company taking over operations at the sugar miller.
“We want arrears to be paid immediately. We also want locals to be allowed to work in the company and Ugandans who were brought in to be deported back to their country," Patrick Mutimba, the Mumias Sugar Company Workers Union Chairman, said.
Mutimba said the company still owes workers Sh2.3 billion.
He said despite committing to clear the arrears through their official bid document, once it took over operations, the Ugandan company is yet to do so.
“The few Kenyans working inside are working overtime and they are not being compensated,” he said.