COTU wants more action on sugar cartels to protect jobs

NAIROBI, KENYA: Central Organsiation of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli wants more action taken against sugar cartels he says cost the county 60,000 jobs in the final quarter of last year. 

The data is from the union’s economic research department, which also reports that the trend of job losses will continue this year in the sector. 

Welcoming the seizure by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of illegally imported sugar estimated to be worth over Sh344 million in Mombasa, Atwoli said such joint efforts are necessary to protect farmers and other investors in the sugar sector. 

“I particularly commend the efforts by the Kenya Revenue Authority Commission General John Njiraini and CID Director Ndegwa Muhoro working alongside other government agencies,” said Atwoli in a statement to newsrooms yesterday. 

“The chronic problem of illegal sugar imports into this country must be dealt with seriously if Kenya is to achieve any meaningful progress in reviving the country’s struggling sugar industry, growing this economy and creating employment for the hundreds of our youths now hit by an unprecedented high unemployment rate,” he said 

The Cotu boss alleged that cartels are repackaging the illegal sugar into Mumias Sugar Company branded packets to avoid detection, thus “fetching huge profits as if it is our locally made sugar from Mumias Sugar Company”, he said. 

He said if indeed most of the sugar now in supermakets and branded with  Mumias Sugar Company logo were genuine, the miller would not be struggling. 

He claimed to have a list of the “principal suspects” behind the cartels and that they are well known to the Government, but the police are yet investigate or arrest them. 

“It is hypocritical for any government agency to claim that it is investigating those involved yet these very individuals behind such huge illegal imports will be having joint breakfast around the city with them,” said Atwoli. 

“It is painful that an Industry that was so robust a few years ago can now not even afford to pay its employees’ wages and has been reduced to begging to remain afloat.  We can’t spur economic growth when the backbone of our economy, that is the agricultural sector cannot sustain jobs for our young people,” said the Cotu boss.