Cord, Jubilee cited in ailing sugar industry

Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi on Monday accused the Jubilee and Cord coalitions of failing to implement recommendations aimed at saving the sugar industry.

In a statement, Mr Mudavadi accused the two coalitions of ganging up to ensure that a report on the crisis in the sugar sector is not debated and adopted in Parliament.

The politician, who draws his core support in the sugar producing western Kenya region, demanded that MPs hold a special sitting to discuss the crisis when they reconvene next month.

He claimed that the latest scramble by the two coalitions for western Kenya voters was a way of blinding residents from punishing them in the next General Election in protest against the economic sabotage inflicted through complicity in killing the sugar industry.

Mr Musalia noted that the report by the National Assembly’s Committee on Agriculture titled: “The crisis facing the sugar industry in Kenya” was one-year-old and contains recommendations to punish major perpetrators of graft and abuse of office cited in multiple corrupt dealings, leading to the latest meltdown in the sugar industry and who are known top financiers or senior members in the two coalitions.

The report, he said, contains the names of sugar barons and major companies dealing in importation and exportation of sugar.

It also lists radical measures the government must implement to turn around the industry and put it on a solid, efficient and sustainable production and business trajectory.

The Amani leader said twice, after the report had been listed on the National Assembly’s order paper, it was mysteriously removed at the last minute through collusion between the two coalitions.