Cane farmers in South Mugirango have raised their concerns over fake promises by governor James Ongwae who had promised to put up a sugar factory that was to be constructed in the area even as their counterparts in former Nyanza region complained of the ailing industries.
Protesting in Moticho ward,the farmers who currently delivered their cane to Mara sugar factory in Transmara petitioned the authorities to come clear on the non-existent factory.
The farmers claim Governor James Ongwae had visited the area and promised to put up the factory through public private partnership as one way of alleviating challenges in the industry.
He had cited a consortium of sugar industries from India as one of the partners in the project to be located at Nyangweta forest.
Later, high ranking officers from the state department of Agriculture also inspected the proposed site of the factory and gave a green light.
Over five years down the lane,the project was yet to take –off aggravating the cane farmers’ tribulations.
Denis Onserio,lemented over wastage of their crop after it was sometimes rejected by Mara sugar factory for lack of crashing capacity.
The factory according to Samuel Ondeyo, was expected to provide employment opportunities to the area youths ,but the proposal had turned into a pipe dream.
Intriguingly, governor Ongwae has since laid a foundation stone for construction of a banana factory at Kenyenya in the proposed plant’s neighbourhood.
This follows a dispatch of top level delegation by the national government to the sugarcane zones of Western and Nyanza with a view to recommending measures geared towards streamlining them economically.
