Busia residents blame cane farm workers for insecurity

By SAMMY JAKAA

BUSIA; KENYA: Residents of Busia County are pointing fingers at cane cutters and loaders for the skyrocketing cases of insecurity experienced recently.

They raised concerns that the region has experienced an influx of cane cutters and loaders who are not affiliated to any sugar company and instead move around looking for casual jobs.

Western Development Initiative Association (Wedia) Vice-Chairperson Joseph Barasa said Nambale is now full of strangers who troop there in the guise of being cane cutters and loaders of West Kenya Sugar Company.

Speaking to The Standard at the weekend, Mr Barasa said most strangers in the region claim they are attached to a cane weighbridge at Olepito along the Kakamega-Busia highway.

“Nambale in Busia County is now full of unknown people mostly linked to sugarcane transporters and loaders who are operating a weighbridge at Olepito near Tangakona on the Busia-Kakamega highway,” said Barasa.

The Wedia vice-chair linked the strangers to the recent killings in Akobwait in Teso South, adding the families that were attacked had received money after selling sugarcane.

“Since they harvest cane, they are able to establish those people who have been paid and attack them. This can be connected to them because they demanded for the money the deceased had received after selling sugar cane,” added Barasa.