Mumias closed for maintenance due to poor perfomance

Mumias Sugar Company has temporarily closed its factory for maintenance due to poor crushing capacity.

The company has been operating at a cane crushing capacity of between 2,000 to 4,000 tonnes per day which is below the required 7,000 tonnes.

According to the company's out-going Managing Director Coutts Otolo, they have opted to take urgent measures because the company is performing poorly.

"We have decided to close the factory on a temporary basis so that we can carry out maintenance services. The factory has been performing very poorly," said Mr Otolo.

Otolo said the company has run out of sugar and supply will only resume after it resumes normal operations.

"Our sugar will not be on the shelves for all this period. We do not have any stocks in our warehouse. We have sold all the sugar we had processed earlier. Consumers and other businesspeople will have to bear with us," he said.

He also said the company is still verifying the list of farmers it owes money.

The firm has delayed releasing dues owed to farmers for over six months of supply.

He said the company will spend over Sh500 million to pay the farmers.