By Andanje Wakhungu
Retirees of the giant West Kenya Sugar Company Limited are now urging the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the alleged misappropriation of over Ksh. 88 million by the company’s Sacco. The retirees claim their repeated attempts to secure their retirement payments from the Sacco, which serves the miller’s employees, have been unsuccessful. This has led them to hire an independent auditor to review the accounts of both the Sacco and the miller to ensure accountability.
The retirees are also calling for the intervention of the Cooperative Cabinet Secretary, Wycliffe Oparanya, to help them recover their hard-earned retirement benefits. “We worked for West Kenya for many years, and after being retired for over two years now, we have yet to receive our dues. Every time we inquire, we are told the delay is due to non-performing loans. Yet none of us have these loans. We want to know who, among us, has taken these loans, as it appears the Sacco is avoiding its responsibility to pay us,” said Jeremiah Murumba, one of the retirees.
The retirees’ concerns have deepened after the factory distanced itself from the Sacco, even though the Sacco serves the factory’s employees. Some Sacco officials, allegedly involved in the embezzlement, are still employed at the factory. The retirees quoted a figure of Ksh. 88,197,111 as the amount owed to them by the West Kenya Sugar Company Limited (WEKSCOL) Sacco.
“We have organized a meeting on November 11, 2024, at the WEKSCOL grounds, where we have invited the EACC, the governor, the cooperatives minister, the senator, and the Kabras OCPD to listen to our grievances, as we have been ignored by the miller, which seems to be protecting those responsible for the fraud,” Murumba added.
Many of the retirees are struggling to provide for their families, with some unable to pay school fees for their children in secondary and higher education institutions. “We want justice, and we know who is responsible for embezzling our funds. We will name them at the meeting to ensure the law takes its course,” he emphasized.
However, in response, the management of West Kenya Sugar Company Limited distanced itself from the accusations. The company clarified that, despite sharing the same name, it has no affiliation with Sacco and urged the retirees to pursue their claims through the appropriate legal channels. “As the management of West Kenya Sugar Company Limited, we are distancing ourselves from these claims and advise the retirees to follow the proper constitutional channels to claim their benefits,” stated the company’s communications department.
