MUMIAS SUGAR COMPANY ETHANOL PLANT RESUMES OPERATIONS

Mumias Sugar Ethanol plant that has been non-functional for the past six months has officially resumed operations.

“This is our first step in the journey towards revival of this sugar factory,” governor Oparanya announced after powering on operations of the six year old ethanol production plant at Mumias.

Governor Oparanya said commencement of ethanol production will be followed by revival of the sugar factory in a few months time. The County government of Kakamega, the National Government and the receiver manager, he added, have been very instrumental in efforts to revive the miller. “I also sincerely thank Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) for funding recent operations of this plant as well as Butali and Busia Sugar Companies for providing the raw material for ethanol production at no cost,” he said.

The County boss said the county government is mobilizing residents to plant sugarcane through the community adminstrators and urged farmers across the county to begin cane farming in anticipation of the factory’s revival. Mumias Sugar Company nucleus section, he said, has already started cane growing.

He announced that the company will go as far as Uganda to buy cane to sustain its operations once it becomes fully functional and exuded confidence that it will return its glory within one year.

The governor who is also the chairman of the National Sugar Taskforce constituted by President Uhuru Kenyatta called on politicians to keep off the factory saying some of the problems that bedevil the company have been caused by politicians.

Also present were the receiver manager PVR Rao, senator Cleophas Malala, Trade, Tourism and Industrialization CECM Mr. Kassim Were who also chairs the County Taskforce on revival of Mumias Sugar factory as well as his counterpart at the Finance docket Mr. Geoffrey Omulayi. Others were MCAs, Chief Officer for Service Delivery Amb. James Ochami and Chief of Staff Mr. Robert Sumbi.