Sugarcane farmers in Nyanza have welcomed President William Ruto’s ongoing engagement with the region, saying his tour presents an opportunity to address longstanding problems that have kept the sugar industry on its knees.
The call has been championed by Mr Ezra Olodi, national chairman of the Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, who says farmers will judge the Government by whether reforms in the sector eventually translate into better incomes and a more sustainable cane industry.
In an exclusive interview with KTMN News, Mr Olodi said implementation of the Sugar Act, investment in cane development, cheaper farm inputs, improved roads and the introduction of better cane varieties are among the measures that could change the fortunes of farmers.
“Farmers should feel the impact of his Nyanza visit,” Mr Olodi said, expressing optimism that the President would address issues affecting cane growers during his engagement with the region.
The President’s Nyanza tour comes at a politically significant moment, with the region expected to be an important battleground ahead of the 2027 General Election.
For sugar farmers, however, the political calculations are secondary to a more immediate question: when will the reforms they have been promised begin putting money in their pockets?
Sugar sector at the centre
Sugar remains one of the most important agricultural activities in western Kenya and Nyanza, supporting thousands of farmers directly while providing livelihoods to workers, transporters, traders and other businesses connected to the industry.
Yet the sector has endured years of financial difficulties, ageing factories, inefficient management, cane shortages, farmer arrears and accumulated liabilities to workers and retirees.
Mr Olodi argues that the current Government has introduced measures that could provide a foundation for recovery if properly implemented.
At the centre of the farmers’ expectations is the Sugar Act, which provides a framework for reorganising and strengthening the industry.
Farmers are also looking to the allocation of 40 per cent of sugar revenues for cane development, which they believe could help improve productivity if the resources reach growers transparently and are used for their intended purpose.
For farmers who have struggled with declining yields and rising production costs, such investments could be critical.
Cheaper fertiliser, better varieties
Input costs have long been one of the biggest headaches for cane growers.
The Government’s fertiliser subsidy and efforts to make farm inputs more affordable have therefore attracted attention among farmers seeking to reduce production costs.
Mr Olodi also pointed to the introduction of new cane varieties, including varieties promoted through agricultural research and extension efforts, as another potential avenue for improving yields.
“New varieties and low-cost fertiliser are important because farmers cannot continue producing cane at high cost while receiving low returns,” Mr Olodi said.
Improved varieties, coupled with appropriate extension services, can help farmers shorten crop cycles and increase cane yields, although their success ultimately depends on farmers receiving quality planting material and adequate technical support.
Roads make a difference
For cane farmers, the farm-to-factory journey is as important as what happens inside the factory.
Poor rural roads can delay cane transportation, increase costs and contribute to losses, particularly during rainy seasons.
Mr Olodi said improvement of roads in cane-growing areas was already reducing some of the logistical challenges faced by farmers.
Better roads can potentially lower transportation costs and make it easier for farmers to deliver mature cane to factories in good time.
For an industry whose profitability depends on efficient movement of a bulky crop, infrastructure is therefore not merely a development issue — it is part of the economics of sugar production.
Privatisation and the debt question
But even as farmers welcome the Government’s reforms, they have raised a critical issue over the privatisation of State-owned sugar companies.
Mr Olodi wants any privatisation deals to take into account outstanding obligations to farmers, employees and retirees.
His message is particularly pointed as the country approaches the next General Election.
“Privatisation deals should pay farmers their due before elections,” he said.
He further called for the Government to clear outstanding arrears owed to workers, retirees and farmers before the polls.
“Workers, retirees and farmers’ arrears should be completed ahead of the next General Elections,” Mr Olodi said.
For the farmers, the issue is not simply about restructuring sugar companies.
It is about ensuring that ordinary people who sustained the factories for decades do not become the losers when State-owned enterprises are transferred into new ownership or management.
A test for Ruto in the sugar belt
President Ruto’s renewed engagement with Nyanza has opened a new political conversation in a region that has historically been associated with the opposition.
His administration has sought to deepen its political and development presence in Nyanza, with sugar, agriculture, infrastructure and other economic activities forming part of the broader development conversation.
For sugar farmers, however, political realignment will ultimately be judged against the balance sheets of their farms.
If the Government succeeds in reducing input costs, improving roads, strengthening cane development, ensuring functioning factories and clearing verified arrears, farmers could begin to experience a meaningful turnaround.
But if promises remain largely on paper, political goodwill could prove difficult to sustain.
Mr Olodi says the President must therefore ensure that farmers experience concrete benefits from his engagement with the region.
“We are upbeat that he will address the issues. Our governors and legislators from should reiterate the needs of farmers since they are the peoples voices.”
The appeal places responsibility not only on the Executive but also on elected leaders from the sugar-growing constituencies.
Farmers’ political warning
The sugar farmers’ message is increasingly becoming political.
Mr Olodi says leaders who fail to champion farmers’ interests should expect consequences at the ballot.
“Any leader opposed to the needs of cane farmers will be rejected at the ballot,” he warned.
He also expressed support for President Ruto’s push for a second term, arguing that those opposed to the two-term agenda should reconsider their position.
“We are happy and anyone opposed to the two-term agenda is mistaken,” he said.
That position, however, comes with a political condition from the farmers’ side: support must be reciprocated with results.
The sugar sector provides a ready-made measure.
Farmers want to see their arrears settled. Workers want their dues. Retirees want their benefits. Growers want reliable factories, affordable inputs, productive cane varieties and roads that allow their crop to reach mills efficiently.
The sweet spot is payment
Ultimately, the sugar industry’s recovery will not be measured by the number of political rallies held in Nyanza or the number of promises made from podiums.
It will be measured by whether farmers can plant cane profitably, harvest it on time and receive payment without years of waiting.
For the Government, the opportunity is considerable.
The combination of the Sugar Act, cane-development financing, cheaper fertiliser, improved road infrastructure and new cane varieties could provide the building blocks for a stronger sugar economy.
But farmers want the reforms to go one step further — into their pockets.
As President Ruto tours Nyanza, the message from the sugar belt is therefore straightforward: farmers are willing to support reforms, but they want to see the sugar industry’s recovery reflected in their bank accounts.
And for Mr Olodi and the federation he leads, the ultimate test of the President’s Nyanza engagement will be whether the people who have kept the region’s sugar mills running for decades finally receive what they are owed.
For the cane farmer, the sweetest political promise is no longer a speech. It is payment.
About The Author
