CORD leaders call for milk boycotts over Uganda sugar deal

From left, Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, County Women Representatives Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) and Florence Mutua (Busia) during a press conference yesterday. [Photo: WILLIS AWANDU/Standard]

The row between the Government and the Opposition over a reported sugar pact with Uganda turned nasty after CORD leaders advised their supporters to boycott milk and dairy products of firms that could apparently benefit from an export deal.

CORD MPs claimed the sugar import deal with Uganda will sabotage the local industry in exchange for Kenya’s dairy and beef exports.

They claimed the State had been captured by mafiosi who had ruined the economy in their greed to enrich themselves at the expense of farmers across the country.

“The economic sabotage and economic crimes are going on nationwide... When a regime turns itself into a mafia State, the people have a right and a duty to stand up and protect their livelihoods,” said CORD MPs in a hard-hitting statement read by Busia Woman Representative Florence Mutua.

MPs Simba Arati (Dagoretti), Fred Outa (Nyando), James Nyikal (Seme), Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja), Raphael Otaalo (Lurambi) and Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay Woman Representative) claimed the unscrupulous operators, who include sugar barons, had declared war on the people by ruining their sources of livelihood across the country.

They cited falling tea prices in South Rift, farmers unable to sell maize stocks in the North Rift, the cheap imports crippling sugar sector in Western, attack on mnazi at the coast, seizure of Migingo Island and across the Rift Valley “the dairy industry is being killed by one single company that is pursuing monopolistic tendencies in the country and the region.”

“It has already paralysed the New KCC,” they said, adding, “as we prepare to move to the ground this Friday, we call on our people to rethink their relationship with the companies in whose name our sugar sector is being killed.”

Integrity issues

They claimed Deputy President William Ruto was sacked as minister in the grand coalition government because of integrity issues and not for protecting the local sugar industry as claimed by Jubilee legislators.

Raila Odinga’s allies claimed since Jubilee came to power, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy have made many visits to Uganda and other countries, but nobody talks about Migingo Island, which they claimed has since been annexed by Uganda President Yoweri Museveni.

“Jubilee has spent all its diplomatic energy on getting Uhuru and Ruto out of ICC. Migingo is a huge source of fish. Since Museveni annexed it, Uganda’s fish exports that had been declining since 2005, have started increasing,” read part of the statement.

 

They said that as Opposition, they have asked the President to disclose any safeguards he had put in place to stop sugar from the rest of world coming into Kenya via Uganda.

They also wondered why the national government ignored the county governments of sugarcane growing areas yet agriculture is a devolved function.

PERTINENT QUESTIONS

“We have asked the President pertinent questions but the response has been an arrogant and contemptuous silence. Yesterday, the high priest of corruption was lecturing our farmers on the questions to ask without a single answer from the Government,” said Mutua.

And the ghosts of Mumias Sugar Company may return to haunt former managers of the miller if amendments to a parliamentary report are carried by the House.

Ugunja MP James Wandayi wants a report arising from an investigation into the sugar crisis amended so that former managers blamed for the near-collapse of the miller answer to charges.

The amendment is on the report of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives on the crisis facing the sugar Industry, which is due for debate.

The motion comes several months after the Agriculture committee, which was marred by corruption allegations, voted to water down their report by avoiding naming and demanding action on those blamed for running down Mumias.

The legislator now wants Parliament to recommend for a stiff legal action be taken against all managers between 2011 and 2014 for losses incurred by the company.

If adopted, the new Mumias Chief Executive will be compelled to take disciplinary action against all the staff identified as being responsible for anomalies and failings in the sugar importation process.

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