Mulwanda Cotton Ginnery is headed for revival more than a decade after the factory collapsed.
The national government has agreed to release Sh30 million towards the factory revival plan. The development is good news not only to cotton farmers in the region but to the county government as well.
Defunct ginnery
A bid by Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong’s administration to revive the defunct ginnery was opposed by the Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo who warned the county against channelling money to the facility.
Ms Odhiambo had argued that Mulwanda was a private factory and, therefore, it was illegal for the devolved unit to resuscitate it using public funds.
Speaking after commissioning the new Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) Busia branch yesterday, Ojaamong disclosed that the State had agreed to revive the factory for the sake of farmers and create job opportunities.
The county boss insisted the ginnery was a public property.
“The move by the national government to revive the factory is a good gesture, the county will also play its part in ensuring the cotton ginnery is up and running for our people to benefit,” said Ojaamong.
He added: ”We had good intention as a county for cotton farmers but our efforts were met with many hurdles. Mulwanda is not a private factory otherwise the national government would not have agreed to revive it.”
On Monday, Ojaamong and Funyula MP Oundo Mudenyo held a meeting in the former’s office to discuss the revival of the ginnery.
Dr Mudenyo in an interview with The Standard said the money will be made available as soon as the county Department of Cooperative signed an MoU with the management committee of Mulwanda ginnery and national government’s department of Cooperative in the Ministry of Trade.
“It is a must that all entities responsible get technical and professional opinion on the amount of works required that can adequately be covered within the Sh30 million budget,” he said.
He said the county government should allocate money in the form of grant as seed capital for purchase of the cotton.
