Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) board director Samwel Onyango Ong’ow has commended President William Samoei Ruto for what he termed as unprecedented reforms in Kenya’s ailing sugar sector.
While addressing cane farmers in Sigoyuech Mariwa, Muhoroni constituency, during his final campaign stretch for the Kenya Sugar Board directorship, Ong’ow highlighted key strides made under the Kenya Kwanza administration to restore the sector’s health from clearing billions in arrears to enhancing fertilizer access.
“We’ve been grappling with persistent problems in the sugar sector. Cane farmers were owed billions and had lost hope,” said Ong’ow. “But today, we thank President Ruto for taking bold steps. Arrears totaling KSh1.7 billion have been paid to sugarcane farmers and mill workers.”
Ong’ow lauded the rollout of subsidized fertilizers, noting a significant increase in cane productivity across sugar-growing zones. “Fertilizer availability was a major challenge, but this government has responded well. Farmers are now receiving subsidized inputs, and we’re seeing the results in yields,” he stated.
The AFA director also welcomed the government’s move to lease public sugar mills, a strategy he said will relieve state-owned companies from the burden of operational costs, improve efficiency, and ensure timely payments to farmers.
“We’ve seen a positive turnaround at Muhoroni Sugar Company where West Valley Sugar, the new lessee is already upgrading the factory. This is the transformation we’ve been yearning for,” he said.
Ong’ow added that other state-run mills such as Chemelil, Nzoia, and Sony are set for similar revitalization under the privatization initiative, with a promise that weekly payments to farmers will become standard practice.
“Once we are elected to the board, our focus will be on further easing farmers’ burden, especially in transport,” he said. “We’ll push for more tractors to be made available so farmers stop incurring high transportation costs and to help root out middlemen and corruption.”
He reaffirmed his commitment to championing farmer-centric reforms, promising that the sector is on the cusp of real and lasting change.
“We are not going back to the days of frustration and neglect. This is a new era for sugar farmers,” he concluded.
