“Don’t try it again,” Lusaka warns Natembeya and Wamalwa over Nzoia Sugar
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has lashed out at DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, accusing them of politicizing the leasing of the troubled Nzoia Sugar Company and stoking unrest in the region.
Speaking during a prayer breakfast at the Holygate of Heaven Church in Bungoma, Lusaka did not mince words as he blamed the two leaders for fueling protests against the government’s initiative to lease the ailing sugar mill to a strategic investor.
“Don’t light fires in my house to warm your cold politics,” Lusaka said. “We have watched Nzoia rot for years under poor management and political games. Now that there’s a move to revive it, some want to gain political mileage by misleading the public.”
The governor defended the leasing plan, saying it was a necessary step toward restoring operations at the factory and alleviating the longstanding plight of sugarcane farmers and workers, many of whom have gone unpaid for months.
He accused a section of politicians of misinforming the public on the leasing process, arguing that they have failed to present any viable alternatives.
“Where were they when the factory went months without paying workers? When machines broke down and farmers’ cane dried in the fields?” he posed. “Let’s not pretend to care now just because it’s convenient for advancing their political agenda ahead of the 2027 elections.”
Lusaka further urged residents to interrogate the motives behind the recent protests, warning them against being manipulated for political gain.
He reassured workers and farmers that the government was working to fast-track the clearance of pending salary and payment arrears, promising that the leasing would provide a long-term solution to the miller’s woes.
Interestingly, Nzoia Sugar factory was facing hardships when Eugene Wamalwa served as the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Devolution and Planning, a docket that would have been instrumental in breathing new life in the sugar firm.
