Give jobs to locals, not Ugandans, Barasa tells Mumias investor

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has warned the investor reviving the troubled Mumias Sugar Company against hiring workers from Uganda.  

Barasa said the investor, Uganda-based Sarai Group, should give jobs to the locals.

“We don’t want the investor to bring in people from Uganda to work at Mumias Sugar Company. People to be employed in the company should be our local people, especially the youth and not foreigners from Uganda,” he said.

The governor did not however say whether the investor was already hiring foreigners.

Company operations manager Stephen Kihumba had earlier said that the miller had recalled most of the technical staff to restart operations.

Barasa said the county leadership will support the investor by ensuring farmers plant enough cane to sustain the company's operations. 

The governor said his administration has engaged with the investor and agreed that farmers would be paid Sh4,550 per tonne of cane and payments will be done weekly.

The governor was speaking when he condoled with the family of Saina Orata in Mwitoti village, Mumias East subcounty.

Barasa had earlier put on notice cartels that have continuously frustrated the revival efforts of the miller for personal and material gains.

The Sarai Group won a 20-year lease to revive the debt-ridden miller, which was placed under receivership in September 2019 over unredeemed debentures.

The government is the biggest single shareholder with 20 per cent, KCB Group has 1.72 per cent shares, Jubilee Insurance has 1.46 per cent and two Standard Chartered Nominees Limited accounts at 1.4 per cent. Individual shareholders hold 71.35 per cent of the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm.

The governor also opposed the planned sale of Kakamega Golf Hotel, among other hotels that are underperforming.

“We are aware that the government has planned to privatise a number of parastatals including Golf Hotel. As a significant minority shareholder, we want to be on record that we’re opposed to the planned sale. We want the hotel to remain,” he said.

He said the county government wants the hotel to remain public.