Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has thrown his weight behind Kakamega counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya's bid to revive the collapsing Mumias Sugar company.
Speaking in Kakamega on Friday when he opened the Kakamega County Agricultural show, Wangamati said they cannot support the auctioning of the Mumias Sugar's assets.
“As a governor from this region and a member of the task force on sugar, I want to say here that we support the action taken by Oparanya to make sure that the assets of Mumias Sugar Company are safeguarded,” Wangamati said.
He said the sugar industry is crucial to the economy of the region.
He said he would lobby his colleagues to fully support and protect the sugar industry.
“We applaud Oparanya for the steps he is taking because we know what the sugar industry means to the economy of this region,” he said.
Last week, Oparanya appointed a 12-member committee chaired by Trade executive Kassim Were to oversee revival of Mumias Sugar, including safeguarding the assets of the firm.
It has three key terms of reference: identifying and recommending ways and means of protecting the public and community land in the wider Mumias region; identifying public assets at risk of vandalism, looting, plunder, stealing or grabbing in the wider Mumias region and recommending ways of protecting them.
The team is supposed to work collaboratively with the board of directors and management of Mumias Sugar to map out and recommend strategies for the revival and operationalisation of the miller on the verge of collapse.
The task force may co-opt up to a maximum of four persons with special expertise to assist achieve its mandate.
It may also interview any person including government officials, management of Mumias Sugar, farmers or farmer organisations and stakeholders in the wider Mumias region.
Governor Oparanya gave the committee 14 working days to complete the task.
