imminent closure of Mumias Sugar Company

COTU/ADM I/I/6/VOL X/83
6th June, 2015
PRESS RELEASE

RE: IMMINENT CLOSURE OF MUMIAS SUGAR COMPANY

Mumias Sugar Company limited is facing imminent closure soon if the kshs.1Billion promised to the Sugar Company by the government is not effected immediately and the closure will result into the eventual collapse of the Sugar Firm.
Apparently, strategically placed individuals within government are behind these very efforts frustrating the release of the funds to Mumias Sugar Company and are already plotting to buy off the Sugar Firm soon upon its closure and eventual collapse.

The Central Organization of trade Unions, COTU (K) now appeal to members of parliament from the Western Region requesting government offices to intervene and ensure that Mumias Sugar firm does not collapse because such action will lead to over 500,000 families across the country losing their source of livelihood besides the millions of people that depend on the firm both directly and indirectly in the Western Kenya and outside.

The move too will spell doom to millions of Kenyan children’s education that depend on the firm and their future will be no more besides the suffering that they will have to endure.

At the same time, COTU (K)’s concerns are informed by similar promises by the government that lead to the collapse of Pan Paper Mills in Webuye and we are sure that soon after the collapse of Mumias Sugar firm, Nzoia Sugar Company will be on live and this will no doubt be the worst raw deal that the Kenyan people would have received from its government and it will be an uphill tasks for anybody to revive these plants.

Thousands of workers now at Mumias Sugar Company are at risk of losing their jobs as do other workers within the production and distribution chain and the Kenyan economy will be worst hit at the closure of Mumias Sugar Company.

COTU (K) appeals to His Excellency The President Uhuru Kenyatta to directly intervene and save the Kenyan workers and children that now stand to suffer immensely of the Sugar firm is closed down and let the government equally tell Kenyans if the Kshs. 1 Billion pledge promised was a road-side political declaration or real and the government seriously meant it.

Francis Atwoli, EBS, MBS
SECRETARY GENERAL