BUSIA, Kenya, Jan 23 – Leaders from the Western region have lashed out at Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka for questioning the issuance of bonus payout to sugarcane farmers in the region, urging him to keep off the initiative.
Led by the National Assembly Speaker Hon Moses Wetang’ula, the leaders – who had accompanied President Dr William Ruto on a development tour of the region – put the wiper party leader on notice over his remarks which alleged the action was meant to bribe and coerce the region into backing the government.
“Kalonzo’s outbursts on issuance of cane bonus to our struggling farmers is misplaced and should keep off the matter because he is not privy to the untold suffering cane growers have been encountering,” said Wetang’ula.
Speaking at Kinjavi market in Nambale, Busia County, Wetang’ula called out the former Vice president on for what he termed as selfish and divisive politics meant to stop the western region from benefitting from development programmes initiated by the government and allied agencies.
“Why is Kalonzo not asking questions when tea and coffee farmers get bonuses and investors benefit from stock dividends and only criticises the government when it issues cane bonuses for the first time to farmers!” posed Wetang’ula.
He added: “Cane farmers are entitled to bonuses just like their coffee and tea counterparts in other parts of the country.”
“If Kalonzo will not stop engaging in negativity that divides the people from this region through spreading falsehood about development programmes implemented by the government, we will not be strained to tell the truth about him.” He warned.
President William Ruto too hit out at the former Vice President over his remarks…
“I have seen them question the source of monies used to pay the sugarcane farmers, where do they think the money paid to tea farmers comes from? Where does the money for for coffee farmers come from? They all come from the same source,” he stated.
Wetang’ula noted that president Ruto’s initiatives to revive the dwindling sugar sector was aimed at making cane growing a profitable venture and uplift the living standards of many farmers from the region who were hard hit by the closure of many cane crushing companies.
He added that they would not tolerate a section of opposition leaders who are fighting to reverse the gains the sector has started to make under the Kenya Kwanza government.
Other leaders who criticised Kalonzo included Prime Cabinet Secretary Hon Musalia Mudavadi, Cooperative Cabinet Secretary Hon Wycliffe Oparanya and Busia governor Dr Paul Otuoma.
“Cane farmers have for long suffered due to collapse of the industry. Now we have gotten a friend (President Dr Ruto) who is ready to revive the sector for the benefit of cane growers. Some leaders are pouring cold water on the initiatives,” said Dr Otuoma.
He added that farmers from Busia were the biggest beneficiaries of the cane bonuses issued at Mumias Sugar Company last Monday.
“It is disrespect to cane farmers when Kalonzo claims that issuing them with allowances amounts to bribing them,” he said.
He noted that Kalonzo as a leader eyeing the presidency should be in the forefront of championing for the revival of the sugar sector for the betterment of farmers.
Oparanya said Kalonzo does not understand the cane growing business, noting that he has no mandate to criticise plans being put in place by the government to breathe a new life in the ailing Sugar industry.
“Who is Kalonzo to speak about the cane farming. What does he know about cane growing!” posed Oparanya.
He noted that the Opposition leader risks facing the wrath of cane farmers if he does not stop speaking ill about the revival of the sector.
President Ruto presided over issuance of cane bonuses worth Kshs. 150 million at Mumias Sugar Company last Monday.
The move was received with joy from farmers and leaders who said it was a motivator to cane growers.
But Mumias East MP Hon Peter Salasya and Kalonzo have separately demanded to know where the funds were drawn from, arguing that the cash was not budgeted for.
During his your today president Ruto inspected the construction of Nesewa Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) in Nambale constituency.
He also toured the Busia county Aggregation and Industrial Park that is under construction before launching the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity project at Kinjavi area in Nambale and Alupe in Teso South constituencies in Busia county.
MPs, Principal Secretaries, MCAs, senior national and county officers were present.
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