
In a fiery outburst that has rocked the political scene, a storm is brewing in Western Kenya as furious Members of Parliament and Senators vow to unleash mass action if the government doesn’t immediately halt the controversial leasing of Nzoia Sugar Factory.
Butere MP Tindi Mwale, visibly livid during a press conference, declared that local leaders are ready to “go all out” to block the leasing plans. He accused the state of rigging the process in secrecy, warning that protests and court battles are just the beginning.
“We won’t sit back while Nzoia is auctioned off in darkness! Whether it’s protests, lawsuits, or whatever it takes we are coming for them. They even ignored a court order!” Mwale blasted.
Senator Edwin Sifuna of Nairobi didn’t mince his words either branding the entire leasing process as a high-level heist dressed in government approval.

“You mean to tell me only two families in the entire country are fit to run our sugar factories? That’s a joke. This is public theft, plain and simple,” Sifuna declared.
Meanwhile, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, who supplies sugarcane to Nzoia, dropped a bombshell revealing he learned of the factory’s takeover from his tractor drivers.
“Imagine my workers informing me that new owners are in place! No notice, no memo. Just betrayal. These new players don’t even have the know-how to run the place,” Omtatah said, stunned.
Nzoia isn’t alone in this murky affair the government has already leased:
- Nzoia Sugar to West Kenya Sugar Company
- Chemilil to Kibos Sugar & Allied Industries
- Sony Sugar to Busia Sugar Industry Ltd
- Muhoroni to West Valley Sugar Company
In Parliament on May 13, Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe tried to douse the flames, insisting “nothing was sold” and claiming the leasing was above board and “approved by Parliament.”
But critics aren’t buying it. Leaders across the Western bloc, including governors, argue that the truth was buried, and stakeholder voices were ignored.
Stay tuned this sugar saga is far from over. As tensions rise, Kenya braces for what could become a landmark political showdown over the future of its sugar industry.