Anyang’ Nyong’o Clears the Air on Alleged Fallout With Raila Odinga
Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has come out to strongly dismiss claims of a disagreement between him and ODM leader Raila Odinga over the controversial plan to lease out sugar factories.
On Friday, May 9, Nyong’o released a statement addressing the rumors and made it clear that he and Raila are fully united on the matter.
In the statement, Governor Nyong’o explained that both he and Raila support the idea of the government stepping away from running sugar factories and instead allowing private investors to take over their management.
He emphasized that the leasing process should be conducted fairly and openly, with all procedures being transparent and competitive.
“Some recent media stories have wrongly suggested that Raila Odinga and I are not on the same page regarding the leasing of sugar factories.
That is not true,” Nyong’o said. “Our position is the same — we both believe the government should stop managing these factories and instead lease them out to private investors through a transparent and competitive process,” he added.
Raila Odinga had also spoken on the matter a day earlier, on Thursday, May 8, where he publicly expressed support for the leasing plan.
According to him, leasing the factories would help revive the sugar sector, support economic development, and benefit stakeholders like farmers and factory workers.
The government under President William Ruto is pushing forward with the plan to lease four key sugar companies — Nzoia, Chemelil, Muhoroni, and Sony Sugar.
The goal is to breathe new life into the struggling sugar industry and ensure better incomes for farmers and employees.
During a recent meeting with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, Raila Odinga discussed the state of the sugar industry and stressed the importance of reforms.
ODM’s communications strategist, Philip Etale, later issued a statement saying that Raila showed strong support for the proposed changes, which he believes could lead to improved food security and promote rural economic growth.
“Discussions were held around the strategic leasing of sugar mills as part of efforts to turn around the sector.
Raila expressed solid backing for these changes, noting that the leasing plan could help sustain the livelihoods of farmers and boost food production,” Etale noted.
However, despite Nyong’o now clarifying that he shares Raila’s stance, earlier remarks he made painted a different picture.
In previous comments, Governor Nyong’o had expressed serious concerns about the leasing plan. He referred to it as an “economic coup” against farmers and the people of Western Kenya. He questioned the process, claiming it left out important players like workers and farmers.
Nyong’o also raised alarms over some of the companies involved in the bidding process, pointing out that a few of them are relatively new in the sugar business and might not have the experience or good intentions needed to run the factories effectively.
His criticism suggested worries that these companies may not prioritize the interests of local farmers.
The leasing initiative was launched by President Ruto in May 2023, later receiving approval from both the Cabinet and Parliament.
Since then, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has been in charge of managing the process, which includes inviting bids from interested private companies.
One of the factories, Nzoia Sugar Company, has already been leased out for 30 years to businessman Jaswant Rai.
However, the decision has sparked protests among local workers and farmers. They argue that they were never involved in the process and feel that the lease puts them at a disadvantage.
Workers are particularly upset, saying the company still owes them salary arrears for up to 28 months, which they want paid before any new management takes over.
Farmers and workers have voiced fears that the new arrangements could ignore their rights and welfare. They are urging the government to settle all their pending payments and involve them in any future plans affecting the sugar sector.
This is not the first time friction has been observed within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leadership, especially since Raila Odinga began engaging with President Ruto’s government.
In the past, both Governor Nyong’o and Siaya Governor James Orengo have raised concerns about certain agreements made between Raila and Ruto, especially on matters affecting devolution and local governance.
The current debate over sugar factory leasing highlights ongoing tensions in how reforms are handled and how local leaders want the concerns of grassroots communities to be respected and prioritized.
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