By OKong’o Oduya
Operations at Olepito Market along Busia Mumias highway in Teso south constituency were today disrupted for hours after workers of West Kenya Sugar Factory demonstrating over closure of factory.
The workers barricaded a section of the road by lighting fire demanding an explanation over the immediate closure of the factory. They engaged peaceful demonstration demanding the county government of Busia to intervene and address the issue with urgency.
Speaking to the press during the demonstrations early today the workers noted that they arrived at the work station today only to be summoned together and informed that there will be no operations after the court order to stop any further operations within and outside the factory until the case is heard.
According to them operations of the factory is their only source of income and stopping its activities means a lot to them.
Led by Mr. Duncan Aluku the workers said that they depend on the factory for livelihood.They added that if the factory does not resume its operations many of them will be rendered jobless.
“Where will we go after the factory has been closed? We all depend on this factory to feed and educate our children. If you stop the operations now where do you expect us to get money to sustain our families? Unless you want us to become beggars and thieves,” He paused.
They blamed few individuals within the county whom they believe to be behind the closure of the factory due to their own selfish interest. They also blamed the management of the sugar factory for poor payment adding that the payment through Mpesa service via their mobile phones was not the initial agreement they arrived at between them and their employer.
“The management should also tell us what happened to the agreement we arrived at when we first signed our contracts. We were told that we will be paid through our bank accounts and we opened accounts, few months later we have never used our accounts instead we are paid through our mobile phones. That is unacceptable.” Aluku noted.
Addressing the Protestants after a brief meeting with the factory’s management at the factory Busia County Governor Sospeter Ojaamong noted that his government will intervene and address the problem. Ojaamong noted that he will engage all the parties involved to make sure the operations at West Kenya and Busia sugar factories resume its operations as soon as possible.
However ojaamong blamed the national government through courts law to frustrate the efforts of investors which undermine development in the county.
“We are not going to allow national government to frustrate the efforts of invertors here. There is no way someone will use courts to block development here. As a county government we will not allow this to take place,” Ojaamong said
This comes two weeks after Busia high court ordered the closure and put on hold any operations within and outside west Kenya sugar factory until the case is heard. This was after Mr. Shaban Wandera; a farmer from Busibwabo Ward in Busia County went to court to block the operations of factory. Shaban through his lawyer Mr. Oyie Ashioya noted that the factory was erected along swampy area that was of help to people living around the swamp.
He also noted that the factory’s management did not acquire relevant documents from sugar regulatory bodies and NEMA allowing them to proceed with the construction. Wandera wanted the operation stopped until the case is heard.
