New KCC remains sound, says managing director

By Dr Kipkirui arap Lang’at,  Managing Director.

This is in response to several articles that have appeared in the local dallies regarding the status of the milk industry in Kenya more specifically the role and place of New KCC within the industry. Specifically, we take reference from the Business section of The Standard Newspaper dated July 3, 2013 and July 9, 2013 by Mr Jackson Okoth.

We would like to note with concern, an emerging trend that has seen New KCC (NKCC) continue to be adversely mentioned in these aforementioned articles. They have been published without due regard being paid to the Company to ensure authentication of the articles.

This has resulted in the printing of unsubstantiated facts that have no basis whatsoever. It is paramount for any writer or newspaper to authenticate their stories on NKCC with reference to the relevant authorities in the dairy industry. It is important to note that the sources the writer quotes in these two stories have no authority or mandate in the dairy industry and neither are they current suppliers of milk to the Company.

 There was also no known forum in the dairy industry where the sources participated and where they raised such issues for them to be quoted. These stories by the writer were purportedly on mergers on some dairy processors and, therefore, the negative stories on NKCC  were irrelevant and thus shows deliberate malice in the intentions of the writer against NKCC.

As with any other player operating in an open market, New KCC is not immune nor is it averse to competition, take-overs or mergers from other players in the industry, as this is all part and parcel of a free market economy. So to insinuate that New KCC lacks the capability or capacity to employ its own strategies to ensure our continued existence as a significant player in the dairy industry, in the face of on-going developments could not be further from the truth.

The future of the Company (NKCC) with regard to privatisation remains an on-going process, which we are confident will be concluded successfully and to the satisfaction of all relevant stakeholders. The continued attempts to use this process to speculate on the health and future of the Company are not only unfounded but premature. In addition, the unfounded allegations of mismanagement, financial difficulties and integrity issues that have been levelled against the Company point to a deliberate attempt to malign the Company’s good name among our loyal customers and partners.

 No attempts have been made to contact the Company to seek our side of the story, as good journalism would require. We would therefore like to assure all our stakeholders, partners and customers that New KCC Ltd, as has been our tradition since our registration in 2003, remains a viable and profit making Company, committed to delivering quality goods and services.

It is also notable that the Company has not had any integrity inquiries or investigations against it and therefore allegations to the same are just but mere figments of imagination from a perceived creative mind.

On issues touching on the dues purported to be owed to Cherangany Dairy Ltd, it is imperative to note that these were imagined figures which the Company has had no obligation to pay and in addition, no contracts were drawn on the same.                                               

                —Dr Kipkirui arap Lang’at,  Managing Director.