Stakeholders drawn from the Nyando sugar belt have rejected a proposal seeking to merge Chemelil and Muhoroni sugar companies by the national government in the wake of reforms in the sector.

Appearing before the National Assembly committees on finances, national planning, agriculture, and livestock, the stakeholders said they will not engage in any merger talks.

Muhoroni, Member of Parliament Onyango Koyoo, who led the stakeholders in a meeting, said they vehemently oppose any attempts to merge the two-state mills.

“We have categorically rejected any plans to have the two factories merged into one,” said the MP.

According to Koyoo, there is no need to press the government to combine the two mills.

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He pointed out that the mills were productive in the past and that the current issue is the outdated equipment, which slows productivity.

“The government should find a solution by purchasing new machines and not hiding behind the merger of the mills,” he said.

Further, he said that farmers will not allow the two mills to be merged, noting that most of the land meant for cane nucleus growing was grabbed.

“If it is about lack of enough land for the mills which is necessitating the merger proposal then the farmers are appealing to the government to repossess all grabbed land in the area,” he said.

Speaking in Kisumu on Tuesday, Koyoo said the farmers' resolutions must be considered if the government is keen on revamping the sector.

Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Muhoroni Branch Secretary Noah Opiyo criticized the government for its lack of enforcement.

According to Opiyo, numerous factories have been built without sufficient cane to power them, but the government still permits this to sabotage the industry.

“We have seen weighbridges coming up everywhere, some very near to the government mills, this is unfair competition. Let the installation of weighbridges be regulated,” he said.

The farmers asked the government to include them in the leasing process while demanding that only the factories be leased and not the land.