Kakamega County Commissioner John Ondego has asked residents of Mumias to cultivate their farms, even as they wait for the revival of Mumias Sugar Factory.
Ondego said they can diversify by growing other crops which will sustain them during this period instead of leaving their land bare. “You can grow crops like vegetables, beans and even certain types of tree species,” he noted.
However, the County Commissioner has assured residents that the Mumias Sugar Factory, which has been the lifeline of Mumias town will be opened soon.
“But, when the factory is finally running, where will the raw materials come from if you abandon farming?” he posed.
He said West Kenya and Butali Sugar factories in Malava have a shortage of cane forcing them to source additional canes from the Nyanza region.
“It’s because of the shortage of sugarcane that forces the two factories to look for them in other counties, if we had enough, even with the collapse of Mumias sugar, we could be supplying to the two factories,” he noted.
The CC said agriculture has high income, while encouraging residents to go back to their farms and produce adequate crops for both local consumption and export.
