Sugarcane farmers want to be included in auditing of the creditors of sugar factories as the government plans to clear the arrears the companies owe.
They warned that some sugar companies have “computer-generated” farmers who are set to fraudulently benefit from irregular supply of sugarcane.
During a validation exercise in Kisumu on Friday, the farmers and other stakeholders said only actual creditors should benefit from the money.
Kenya National Alliance of Sugarcane Farmers Organisation interim chairman Saulo Busolo said being involved in auditing was the best way to identify genuine farmers.
“The visits in all the 16 sugar factory zones have lifted the lid on a plot to swindle the taxpayers by individuals who made questionable deliveries to the public factories,” Busolo said.
The former Webuye MP cautioned that taxpayers could lose millions through cartels who have plotted to steal the sector.
Busolo, the former director of Kenya Sugar Board, said for transparency purposes, the cane growers want the list of farmers be pinned at each sublocation in different sugar zones to allow farmers and local administrators to authenticate the details.
Muhoroni MP Onyango Koyoo asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to speed the release of Sh2.6 billion for farmers. He said thousands of farmers are suffering as state-owned factories owe them millions, urging him to prioritise state-owned industries to achieve his big four agenda.