Bukembe, Bungoma County – Furious workers from the troubled Nzoia Sugar Company brought traffic to a grinding halt on the busy Webuye-Bungoma highway on Tuesday, in a dramatic protest against the controversial privatization of the mill to businessman Jaswant Rai.
Armed with placards, sugarcane stalks, and unwavering anger, the protesters lit bonfires and erected makeshift roadblocks near the Bukembe market, paralyzing transport for several hours. Their key demand: that the national government must clear all outstanding debts—including unpaid salaries and benefits—before handing over the ailing factory to its new private owner.
Chanting protest songs and decrying perceived betrayal, the demonstrators pointed fingers at a section of Bungoma County political leaders. They accused the leaders of abandoning their cause and supporting the factory’s sale for personal gain, a move they believe has only deepened Nzoia’s financial woes.
Things escalated quickly as reports emerged of burning tires and disruption to local businesses. Police were eventually deployed to disperse the increasingly volatile crowd and restore normalcy along the busy highway.
The protest coincided with official confirmation that Jaswant Rai, a prominent figure in Kenya’s sugar industry, had assumed control of Nzoia Sugar Company. The mill, once a lifeline for thousands of workers and sugarcane farmers across western Kenya, has in recent years teetered on the brink of collapse—plagued by ballooning debts, recurrent shutdowns, and persistent rumors of permanent closure.
Speaking in solidarity with the demonstrators, Kanduyi MP John Makali condemned the government’s inaction and urged political leaders to put workers’ welfare first.
“These workers have endured years of suffering. They’re absolutely justified in demanding what they’re owed. We must resist the temptation to politicize the factory’s management—it’s about people’s livelihoods,” Makali said.
In a related development, sugarcane farmers who supply to the factory have announced their own protest, scheduled for tomorrow. They too are calling on the government to settle long-standing payments before the full handover to Rai’s management is completed.
As Nzoia Sugar’s future hangs in the balance, skepticism abounds over whether new ownership can breathe life into a company that has come to symbolize Kenya’s wider sugar industry crisis.
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