By Daniel Otieno, Busia
Leaders from the Western region have condemned Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka for questioning the government’s decision to issue bonus payouts to sugarcane farmers, urging him to stay out of the matter.
Led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, the leaders who were accompanying President William Ruto on a development tour of the region expressed their displeasure with Kalonzo’s remarks, which suggested that the bonus payout was intended to coerce the region into supporting the government.
“Why is Kalonzo only raising questions about cane farmers’ bonuses? Why does he remain silent when tea and coffee farmers receive bonuses, or when investors benefit from stock dividends?”~ Wetang’ula
“Kalonzo’s outbursts over the issuance of cane bonuses are misplaced,” said Wetang’ula. “He should keep away from this issue as he is not privy to the untold suffering cane growers in this region have endured.”
Speaking at Kinjavi Market in Nambale, Busia County, Wetang’ula accused Kalonzo of engaging in divisive politics aimed at undermining development initiatives for the Western region.
“Why is Kalonzo only raising questions about cane farmers’ bonuses? Why does he remain silent when tea and coffee farmers receive bonuses, or when investors benefit from stock dividends?” Wetang’ula questioned.
He emphasized that sugarcane farmers were entitled to bonuses just like their counterparts in the tea and coffee sectors. “If Kalonzo continues to spread negativity and divisiveness about the development programs initiated by the government, we will not hesitate to speak the truth about him,” Wetang’ula warned.
President Ruto also weighed in on Kalonzo’s remarks, dismissing concerns over the source of the funds used for the payouts. “I’ve seen them question the source of the money for sugarcane farmers. Where do they think the money for tea and coffee farmers comes from? It all comes from the same source,” President Ruto stated.
Wetang’ula reiterated that President Ruto’s initiatives to revitalize the struggling sugar sector were aimed at making cane farming a profitable venture, which would uplift the livelihoods of farmers, many of whom have suffered due to the closure of local sugar mills.
Other leaders from the region also criticized Kalonzo’s stance. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Cooperative Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, and Busia Governor Paul Otuoma expressed their support for the government’s efforts.
Otuoma, whose constituents in Busia are significant beneficiaries of the cane bonuses, called Kalonzo’s remarks disrespectful to the farmers. “It’s disrespectful to cane farmers when Kalonzo claims that issuing them bonuses amounts to bribing them,” he said.
Governor Otuoma urged Kalonzo, who has presidential ambitions, to champion the revival of the sugar industry for the benefit of farmers rather than hinder development. Oparanya, too, criticized Kalonzo for not understanding the cane-growing business, warning that the Opposition leader risked the wrath of farmers if he continued to undermine efforts to revive the sector.
President Ruto had presided over the issuance of Sh150 million in cane bonuses at Mumias Sugar Company the previous Monday, a move that was welcomed by farmers and local leaders as a much-needed boost to the sector.
However, Kalonzo and Mumias East MP Peter Salasya raised concerns about the source of the funds, arguing that they were not budgeted for.
The criticism came amid President Ruto’s ongoing tour of Busia, during which he also inspected the construction of the Nesewa Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) in Nambale and the Busia County Aggregation and Industrial Park. Additionally, he launched the Last Mile Electricity Connectivity project at Kinjavi and Alupe.
