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Bitter reality of neglected sugar industry amidst political pledges

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President William Ruto, Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula and Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka at Nzoia sugar company on August 28, 2023. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

For years, the sugar sub-sector has been used as a campaign tool every electioneering period.

Successive governments, starting from the late President Mwai Kibaki, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and now William Ruto, have promised to revive the sugar sector, which was once the top employer and contributed over 10 per cent to the country's GDP.

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