By Violet Auma
Residents of Mumias East today staged a peaceful protest in Shianda town, opposing the decision to grant prominent businessman Jaswant Singh Rai, the authority to manage the ethanol production plant at Mumias Sugar Company.
Addressing the journalists, the protesters, led by Joakim Atenya and Idd Wanakayi, expressed their dissatisfaction, arguing that it was inappropriate for Rai who also owns West Kenya Sugar Company to take charge of the ethanol plant. They insisted that the current investor, Sarrai Group is fully capable of overseeing all operations at the factory without Rai’s involvement.
The demonstrations come just days after President William Ruto visited the region and pledged to revive the ethanol and power generation plants, which were once integral parts of Mumias Sugar Company.
During his visit, the president assured residents that his government would ensure the distillery is fully operational within three months. He emphasized that the revival of the ethanol plant would create jobs and boost the local economy, reaffirming his commitment to restoring Mumias Sugar Company to its former glory.
Mumias Sugar Company, once Kenya’s leading sugar producer, established an ethanol distillery in 2012 as part of its diversification strategy. The plant was designed to produce ethanol from molasses, a byproduct of sugar production, with a capacity of 22 million liters per year. However, the company’s financial struggles, mismanagement, and heavy debts led to its collapse, and the ethanol plant ceased operations alongside the main factory.
West Kenya Sugar Company, owned by the Rai family, has been one of Mumias Sugar’s key competitors in the region. Over the years, the Rai Group has acquired several struggling sugar factories in Kenya, leading to concerns over monopolization of the industry. The decision to allow Jaswant Rai to manage the ethanol unit has sparked fears that it could give West Kenya Sugar undue control over Mumias Sugar’s revival process.
Apart from ethanol production, Mumias Sugar had diversified into other ventures, including power generation, bottled water production, and refined sugar manufacturing. The factory operated a co-generation plant that produced electricity from bagasse, another byproduct of sugar production.
This plant supplied power to the national grid and helped reduce operational costs. Additionally, the company once ventured into the bottled water business under the brand “Mumias Sprinkles” and experimented with refined sugar production to cater to industrial buyers.
With the government’s renewed commitment to reviving the factory, stakeholders and residents hope that all these units, including the ethanol plant, will be restored under transparent and fair management. The protests highlight the growing concerns among locals who fear that Mumias Sugar’s revival could be compromised if key operations fall into the hands of competitors.
