By The Weekly Vision Correspondent
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has hit out at DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, accusing them of fuelling unrest over the planned leasing of Nzoia Sugar Company.
On Monday, protests erupted along the Bungoma-Webuye road and at the sugar factory as farmers, locals, and politicians clashed with police officers in opposition to the leasing deal. Demonstrations turned chaotic, with protestors engaging police in running battles that lasted several hours.
The unrest was led by a group of leaders, including Wamalwa, Natembeya, former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga, and former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi. Their convoy was blocked by a heavy police presence as they attempted to access the miller’s premises.
Tensions escalated when protestors threw stones at police, prompting the officers to respond with tear gas. The confrontation was eventually quelled after several hours, with demonstrators and leaders forced out of the area. The leaders condemned the lease of the factory to businessman Jaswant Singh Rai of Rai Group, accusing the government of secretly attempting to privatise the struggling mill to the detriment of the local economy.
Governor Natembeya claimed the lease mirrored the controversial sale of the now-defunct Pan Paper Mills and warned that the move would ruin the region’s only remaining sugar factory. We are protecting our properties. If it takes death to save our children’s future, then so be it,” he said.
Malala accused National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula of being behind what he termed the “auctioning” of community assets. Wamalwa, on his part, insisted the process was illegal and ignored existing court orders. In response, Governor Lusaka warned the politicians against using the factory’s woes for political mileage. Speaking at a prayer breakfast in Bungoma, he urged leaders to avoid inciting the public.
“Don’t light fires in my house to warm your cold politics,” Lusaka said. “We’ve watched Nzoia rot for years. Now that a revival plan is underway, some want to derail it for short-term political gain.”
Lusaka defended the government’s decision to lease the mill, calling it a necessary step to restore operations and address the plight of unpaid farmers and workers. He also accused his critics of offering no tangible solutions.
The governor reassured residents that efforts are underway to clear salary arrears and stabilise the factory. He further urged locals not to be manipulated by politicians with personal ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections. “The leasing will offer a long-term solution to the suffering of our people,” he added.
