Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has come out very strong to oppose the plan to send workers of Nzoia Sugar Company home through redundancy.
The Governor said that this move is wrong, careless, and dangerous because it will destroy the lives of thousands of families who depend on the company to survive every single day.
The issue started after an internal memo from Nzoia Sugar Company was sent out on 18th August 2025. The memo was signed by the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Ezron Kotut. In the memo, workers were told that starting from 1st November 2025, many jobs will be declared redundant.
This decision, according to the memo, came from the national government’s move to lease state-owned sugar mills to private investors.
Governor Natembeya said he was shocked and angry. He explained that Nzoia Sugar is not just a factory but the heart and engine of the economy in Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, and other surrounding areas.
He said that sugarcane farmers depend on the mill to buy their cane, transporters get money from carrying the cane to the factory, contractors get work from the mill, traders sell goods around it, and thousands of small businesses are able to survive because of its operations.
If jobs are cut and the mill is weakened, the whole chain of survival will collapse and poverty will increase.In his statement, the Governor said that as the leader of Trans Nzoia he cannot keep quiet and watch such a reckless plan destroy the people.
He said the decision is a betrayal to workers who have given their sweat and energy to the sugar industry for many years. He also accused the government and the company’s management of making big decisions without including farmers, workers, and community leaders who are the real stakeholders.
Governor Natembeya said he has already spoken to the Ministry of Agriculture and to the Nzoia Sugar management to demand that the redundancy process be stopped immediately. He promised that he will continue fighting until the dangerous plan is cancelled.
The Governor also called upon other leaders from Western Kenya including governors, MPs, MCAs, and community elders to join him and speak in one strong voice. He said reforms in the sugar sector must protect farmers and workers before thinking about profits for private investors.
By Nairobileo