- The president said the management of sugar factories will be sorted out to seal loopholes of theft.
- Ruto said sugar factories must pay farmers on time after proessing their cane going forward.
Image: PSC
President William Ruto has affirmed that his administration will neither privatise nor sell any sugar factory as alleged by some politicians.
The Head of State also revealed that his administration will inject Sh3 billion to support cane development for farmers in the next financial year.
The President termed foolish and irresponsible claims by some politicians that the Kenya Kwanza government is planning to sell several sugar factories on sale.
'"Some leaders are telling the public hot air on issues that are not there. They are saying that our factory will be sold. Let me tell you here in the church that there will be no sale or privatisation of any sugar company,'' Ruto said.
The President said the government is planning to undertake what he described as leasing management that is going to ensure that "we get the best for our farmers, our employees and to the industry so that we have enough sugar.''
The President said the government would write off all the sugar factory debts that successful governments had failed.
''We are giving all sugar factories certificates to show that they have no debts at all,'' Ruto said.
The President said Chemelil, Muhoroni, Sony and Nzoia sugar factories have their certificates with Mumias expected to be processed soon after a 'small problem of Sh4 billion remaining is sorted out."
The President hit out at some politicians he accused of sharing misleading information to Kenyans about the government's strategic intervention in sugar factories.
Ruto claimed that one of the MPs who had publicly criticised him over claims of privatisation and sale of sugar factories did not support the government's Bill to write off sugar factory debts.
''The same MP who made foolish noise to me was not even in Parliament during the debate on the write-off of the Sh117 billion debts,'' Ruto said without naming the politician by name.
"On that day he was on demonstrations. He should tell us how a member of Parliament can fail to show up when Parliament is writing off billions of debts owed by sugar factories."
The President who took time to tear into the MP said the lawmaker was nowhere to be seen when the Sugar Bill was being debated in Parliament as well.
''If you are interested in the problems of your people, you should be there early in the morning when critical matters affecting your constituents are being discussed,'' Ruto said.
The President said he will not play politics on matters affecting Kenyans because as their leader, he noted, he is also hurt by the cries of the population.
''You can not just oppose everything for the sake of it,'' Ruto said.
The President spoke when he attended an interdenominational church service on Sunday at Approved School Grounds, Kakamega on February 4, 2024.