Sugarcane farmers reject proposed Crops Laws Amendment Bill

Sugarcane farmers reject proposed Crops Laws Amendment Bill

The Bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, seeks to amend the Sugar Act (No. 11 of 2024), the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute Act (Cap. 319) and the Tea Act (Cap. 343).

Sugarcane farmers have rejected the proposed Crops Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, warning that it could reverse ongoing reforms, weaken farmers’ control of the sugar industry and bring back challenges that have affected the sector for years.

The farmers from Muhoroni Sub-County and Chemelil in Kisumu County raised their concerns during public participation meetings held by the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock on Tuesday.

They urged Parliament to allow the existing legal framework to be fully implemented before introducing further changes, arguing that the proposed amendments could interfere with efforts to improve the sugar industry.

The Bill, sponsored by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, seeks to amend the Sugar Act (No. 11 of 2024), the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute Act (Cap. 319) and the Tea Act (Cap. 343).

Among its proposals is the transfer of lending powers held by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), the Kenya Sugar Board and the Tea Board of Kenya to the proposed Kenya Agribusiness Development Corporation (KADCO), a limited company established under the Government Owned Enterprises Act (No. 25 of 2025).

The Chairperson of the Kenya Association of Sugarcane and Allied Products (KASAP), Atiang Atiang, questioned the need to amend the Sugar Act before its provisions had been fully implemented.

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“The Sugar Board is yet to be constituted. We are waiting for the elections to elect board members. What is the sense of bringing amendments to an Act that you yourselves enacted and have not seen implemented?” Atiang posed.

He compared KADCO to the former Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), which he accused of contributing to the near collapse of the sugar industry and failing to pay farmers for their produce.

Atiang also argued that the proposed corporation did not adequately represent farmers’ interests.

Maurice Omondi, a farmer living with a disability and a representative of the farmers’ federation in Muhoroni, opposed the Bill, saying the proposed changes resembled problems associated with previous laws and could bring cartels back into the industry.

He appealed to Parliament to allow the reforms under the Sugar Act to take effect before considering further amendments.

Gerald Ruto of the Rift Valley Sugarcane Planters Association also questioned the purpose of the Bill, warning that transferring existing functions and financing arrangements to KADCO could affect farmers.

He said the four per cent levy allocated to support the sector directly benefits farmers and cautioned that transferring the related functions to another institution could disrupt these benefits.

Ruto also questioned how the proposed changes would protect the technical knowledge and capacity of existing agencies.

“In the spirit and age of devolution, removing the functions and management of the sector away from the farmers and centralising it in Nairobi is ill-advised,” he said.

He called for the revival of farmers’ societies to work alongside the Kenya Sugar Board in addressing challenges facing the industry.

David Rop, a farmer from Tinderet, urged the government to prioritise the revival of struggling cooperatives, citing their past role in improving livelihoods and reducing poverty.

During the meeting in Chemelil, farmers maintained their opposition to the Bill, warning that passing it in its proposed form could further weaken the sugar industry.

Mboya Kagumba, a former director at the Kenya Sugar Board representing growers from the Chemelil, Nandi Hills and Soin zones, warned that the proposed establishment of KADCO resembled past problems linked to the introduction of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), which he said had brought the sugar sector close to collapse.

Zedekiah Okene, the Chairperson of the Kisumu Sugar Belt Union, questioned why reforms meant to benefit farmers continued to face disruptions.

“When did the rain start beating us?” he posed, noting that whenever positive developments emerged in the sector, outside interventions often disrupted progress at farmers’ expense.

Nick Oloo, an advocate representing Kibos and Chemelil sugar millers, criticised what he described as a reactive approach to policymaking, arguing that the proposed amendments lacked sufficient justification.

“It is alarming that the Government has perfected the art of shooting and then aiming later,” he said.

Oloo said the Bill did not adequately reflect the views and aspirations of the public, urging Parliament to consider concerns raised during the consultation process.

He also warned of possible overlap between the proposed amendments and existing provisions in the Sugar Development Fund (SDF) manual and the Sugar Act, saying both appeared to address matters similar to those covered by the Bill.

“There is no substantive policy necessity and no reason whatsoever to change the lending infrastructure,” he said.