National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has pledged that Parliament will safeguard sugarcane farmers’ right to elect their own representatives, saying any attempt to replace elections with appointments would undermine reforms in the sugar sector.
Speaking after meeting officials of the Kenya National Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (KNFSF) at Parliament Buildings, Wetangula assured farmers that Parliament would oppose any legislation that weakens the gains achieved under the current Sugar Act.
“If the President had any reservations, he would have returned the Bill to Parliament with a memorandum. The law therefore remains exactly as Parliament passed it,” Wetang’ula said.
The farmers’ delegation, led by Chairman Ezra Okoth and Secretary General Kilion Osur, urged Parliament to reject proposed amendments in the Crops Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, arguing that the changes would strip farmers of the right to elect directors representing growers on the Kenya Sugar Board.
Osur said the federation had reached an agreement with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe that elections for growers’ representatives would go ahead instead of appointments.
“The law requires elections, and that is what we are going to do. Once farmers elect their representatives, there will be no justification for changing the law to allow appointments,” Osur said.
According to the federation, the elections are expected to be held on September 5, 2026, once the official gazette notice is issued and statutory requirements are met.
The federation also opposed plans to transfer the Sugar Development Levy (SDL) to the Commodities Fund, insisting that the levy should remain dedicated to financing sugarcane farming because of the crop’s long maturity period.
Wetangula, who is also a sugarcane farmer, said reforms had already begun reviving struggling sugar mills, including Nzoia, Mumias and Chemelil, and warned that illegal sugar imports remain a major threat to the industry’s recovery.
“One important issue I did not hear you mention is reckless sugar importation, which is choking our local sugar industry. As the apex body representing sugarcane farmers, you must become the strongest voice in protecting farmers’ interests,” he said.
The Speaker directed the National Assembly’s Agriculture Committee to engage the Agriculture Ministry to ensure the elections proceed without interference and reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to protecting farmers and strengthening Kenya’s sugar industry.
“Our priority is to protect the farmer and secure the future of Kenya’s sugar industry,” Wetang’ula said.
