Nashon Okowa, a project manager and author./HANDOUT A friend recently pointed out to me that for over eight years of writing columns, there is hardly anything good I have written about the government.
Well, I haven’t been counting but I agree that it is difficult to argue with those statistics.
I remain an ardent cult student of Chinua Achebe’s enduring saying that, “Writers don’t give prescriptions. They give headaches.”
Coupled with the fact that I am a Construction Project Manager, we are trained to see mistakes only during a project’s life.
Good things are reserved from the eye till project completion. You may begin to understand and hopefully tolerate my supposed criticism of administrations.
That said, I lately had a Damascene experience and have been intentional about trying to see how best to prop government’s good intended efforts to improve the country.
Then the sugar leasing fiasco happened, and honestly, I’m back to zero.
From the onset, let me boldly say that I’m convicted, beyond any doubt, that whenever the government want to do anything, they ask themselves, “What is the most difficult way of doing this?” Voila, that is the route we are taking.
If you carefully study the governments past programmes, you realise that they are not acting out of character with the leasing of the sugar factories.
This is vintage government! Immaculately consistent with things that are contrary to common sense.
I was born and bred in the sugar belt of Muhoroni. Like most people in that area, I was proudly raised through sugarcane farming.
Growing up I witnessed the best of Muhoroni sugar factory and as well I have been privileged to see its worse.
I say privilege because of the vital lasting lessons this has taught our people in that area.
In keeping with the legacy of my father and the tradition of the Muhoroni sugarbelt, I do sugarcane farming.
Initially I was initially hesitant due to the poor state of the factory, however, this improved in the last three or four years – the factory in my view has been fairly operating.
The leasing of sugar factories came as a shock but not a surprise, as I said, it is consistent with how government operates.
When I heard of it, I quickly called a few leaders back home to try understand whether they participated in the decision.
Surprisingly, they wanted me to instead give them more information on the matter; they heard it on news like everyone else.
Why would the government lease pubic sugar factory without extensive consultation with the farmers for their buy in? It is the least people expect, more so in such factories with ingrained historical attachments.
In the case of Muhoroni sugar factory, the leasing rubs even more salt to the wound, the factory was apparently leased to West valley sugar factory in Kericho county.
It is rumoured that the factory is owned by a big shot in the crème position of power – don’t hold me to it, I am just speaking aloud what my kinsmen are saying.
Sequel to that, this is a sugar factory located at the border of two tribes. And taking it from one area to another area – even if for nothing, it shall be vehemently opposed.
Second, is the issue of debts owed to farmers. The chief qualification to be called a sugarcane farmer is when you are owed by the sugar factory.
Nearly every farmer is owed by these factories. Yet, as government rushes to lease these factories nobody is talking about these owed debts.
Who is going to pay the farmers? Government or the lessee? When are the debts to be paid? Honestly, these are issues you expect should have been extensively canvassed with farmers in various public participation forums prior to the leasing of the factories.
There are strong valid fears around the misuse of the nuclear lands owned by these factories.
In fact, some quotas believe the lessee are merely interested in the factories vast land and nothing else.
I don’t know, however, I see where they are coming from. And in the absence of people to succinctly clarify these matters, these are grounded genuine concerns.
Let me confess that I have long been a proponent of the leasing of sugar factories like Muhoroni to breath life back to them. I still do.
I’m not persuaded that the government has the wherewithal, resources, impetus and priority that is much required to get these factories back to their best. But the route being taken in the leasing of the factories, though consistent with how government operate, cannot be accepted by any farmer.
Give farmers the dignity of consultation – our fathers, mothers, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and the entire of these communities deserves the right to know and be involved in what is going on. It is the most basic right.
Explain to farmers how you arrived at the lessee, tell us what is contained in the lease and how long it is, then clarify on the money owed to farmers.
What is so difficult in doing this? Why is the government hellbent in ensuring that we constantly oppose their programmes?
Until these matters are clarified, I remain opposed to the leasing of the sugar factories.
The writer is a project manager and an author
