Farmers in Kenya uproot sugarcane over dwindling fortunes

Licoln Olunga inspects his farm. Farmers contracted by Mumias Sugar Company will now get their pay after the new CEO Errol Johnston released Sh270 million. [PHOTO: BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD]

KAKAMEGA: Sugar-cane farming in western region is slowly dying due to a myriad of challenges affecting the sector.

The fortunes of the once-flourishing industry have been diminishing with each passing day, making the farmers to uproot the cane and opt for other crops. The slow death of cane farming is being attributed to poor yields, poor payment, late maturity of cane and political interference.