Busia leaders urge governor to save local sugar factories from closure

A crane unloads sugarcane from a tractor at Busia Sugar Industries in Segero, Nambale.[Standard, File]

Business leaders in Busia have urged Governor Paul Otuoma to act quickly to prevent the closure of Olepito and Busia Sugar factories, which provide 3,000 local jobs.

Sylvanus Abungu, chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce Busia chapter, said the revival of Mumias Sugar could spark intense competition for raw materials among regional sugar millers, threatening the viability of the two factories.