Sugarcane farmers in Kakamega decry closure of factories

Sugarcane farmers in Western Kenya have decried the three months suspension of milling by the seven sugar factories saying it will cause adverse effects on their livelihood. As the government claims the suspension will pave way for cane to mature before harvesting, farmers and residents affected by the closure of the factories say that they already have mature cane in their farms, and that the closure will hurt their source of income. They say many other people who benefit indirectly from sugarcane farming, will be rendered jobless, as markets bordering the factories collapse.