Saturday, April 29, 2023 –Western Kenya-based giant sugar miller Mumias Sugar will nolonger be privatised. President William Ruto has assured.
Speaking in Kakamega County on Saturday April 29, the President said provatisation debate on both Mumias and Nzoia sugar factories is no longer in his plans.
“Ile mambo ya privatisation tumetupilia mbali.” loosely translated as “We have rejected the issue of privatisation.”
“Tuko na kampuni yetu ya Mumias. Kuna watu wanaeneza uvumi ati itauzwa. Ile mambo ya privatisation tumefutilia mbali. Hatutaki kugombana na watu kuhusu ancestral land,” President Ruto said.
The head of State added an assurance that all sugar companies will be handled by locals who understands how this works in their respective areas.
The recently passed Privatisation Bill seeks to have all non-profit-making State Corporations privatised in a bid to turn them around.
Contrary to wishes of many, the Cabinet recently approved the Privatisation Bill, 2023 which will repeal the Privatisation Act of 2005.
Several leaders have since opposed plans to privatise parastatals. For instance, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale recently scolded the government over privatization of entities.
He argued that this exercise may see vast ancestral land grabbed by wealthy individuals and cartels within government.
“It is not out of disrespect to the president but understand this companies and their land is the little we have remained with in our community,” he tabled.
On his part, Azimio leader Raila Odinga condemned Cabinet’s move to give Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u express powers to privatise State corporations.
