CS Kagwe Promises Timely Settlement of Pending Salaries for Public Sugar Factory Workers
He revealed that most workers from the four leased factories Nzoia, Chemelil, Sony, and Muhoroni will be reabsorbed by private millers, while others will exit through retirement packages
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has assured that the government will clear all pending payments owed to workers in public sugar factories
Speaking during a meeting with representatives from the Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation and Allied Workers, the Kenya Sugar Board, and private operators managing leased mills, Kagwe said settling workers’ arrears remains a key government priority despite financial constraints
“We are not refusing to pay… but every shilling due will be honoured. This office remains open and fully committed to ensuring workers and farmers receive what they are owed,” he affirmed
The CS noted that the payment programme is already underway and that the government has also started clearing longstanding dues owed to sugarcane farmers
He revealed that most workers from the four leased factories Nzoia, Chemelil, Sony, and Muhoroni will be reabsorbed by private millers, while others will exit through retirement packages
Kagwe emphasized that leasing the state-owned factories marks a “strategic shift” toward sustainability, efficiency, and job creation in the sugar industry. He directed the lessees to immediately resume full operations, undertake urgent repairs, and strictly adhere to their investment commitments
To enhance accountability, the CS ordered that only the Kenya Sugar Board’s CEO may authorize weighbridge operations, warning that unauthorized weighbridges and disruptions to cane zoning or harvesting will not be tolerated
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He also announced that weighbridges for millers operating outside their designated catchment areas will be closed with immediate effect
The government leased the four sugar factories to private millers in May 2025 for 30 years, with the aim of reviving the struggling sugar sector
The mills were awarded to West Kenya Sugar Company, Kibos Sugar & Allied Industries, Busia Sugar Industry, and West Valley Sugar Company
Writer : Mweru Mbugua
