A packaging plant top and the CEO Evans Kidero
By Mdadisi Mmoja
Farmers in Mumias Sugar Zone have called on the Mumias Sugar Company Board of Directors to institute an independent audit of the Company’s financial base before the exit of the CEO Evans Otieno Kidero. Speaking to the weeklyvision, in Mumias the farmers said they were afraid of the viability of the Company due to the many non-profitable projects the MD was initiating at the company expanse there by eroding the company’s liquidity position.Investigations reveal that the company might take long to re-open for normal operations after closing for routine annual maintenance, as there is not enough sugarcane to run the operations as it is clear that the company owes KPLC Ksh 33Million in fines due to inability to deliver power as agreed to the national grid.
“The sugar company is each month paying millions in fines because the power generation project commissioned last year appears not to have picked up as the board and other stakeholders were made to believe by the CEO. It is turning out to be another white elephant” said a farmer Mr. Wesechere.
According to insiders, Kidero’s exit should be subjected to scrutiny because the Company’s future appears blink. “Agriculture officers and field assistants in the company planted a lot of sugarcane on desk top computers while in the field there is no enough sugarcane” said a top officer in Agriculture department.Mr. Kidero has now taken to beginning many small projects that are not adding any profit to the company like building the Company’s head offices in Mumias town.
Meanwhile two ministers and several MPs from the Sugar growing zone will seek to block the Mumias sugar CEO from being cleared to run for governorship of Nairobi county until questions over the farmers Ksh 3Billion owed by the company to MOCO is cleared.
The ministers are saying that since Parliament was told that the Money is at the sugar company and that it would be released, it was high time the same was done before the MD is cleared to contest.
Planning Minister Whycliffe Oparanya, Matungu MP David Were, Mumias MP Benjamin Washiali, Housing Minister Soita Shitanda, Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale are some of the leaders who have raised questions about the viability of the company saying Kidero’s successor could face a difficult time trying to run the company due to huge debts the company owes various individuals and institutions.
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