Farmers in Mumias sugar growing belt will have to wait much longer for the factory to start crushing cane. This is according to the Kenya Commercial Bank-appointed receiver manager, Ponangapalli Venkata Ramana Rao.
Mr Rao dismissed media reports that the sugar factory will resume operations fully by January next year.
He said the timelines are not guaranteed going by the raw material crunch in the expansive Mumias sugar zone.
“We can resume operations only if the availability of sugarcane is guaranteed,” said Rao.
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He said they have embarked on a programme to map out the raw material availability in the region and establish the number of active farmers before deciding on the resumption date.
Financial setbacks
The factory closed shop in May 2018 due to a myriad of financial difficulties and a biting sugarcane shortage.
The Kakamega County government in collaboration with the receiver manager and lenders owed billions of shillings by the struggling sugar firm, among other stakeholders, have been brainstorming on the miller’s bailout plan.
A flurry of meetings have been held, including one where the county chief met President Uhuru Kenyatta on November 8 over the miller’s revival.
Oparanya said his meeting with the President delved deeper into possible ways of revamping the sugar firm, which shutdown operations close to two years ago
