Webuye, Kenya – May 12, 2025 – Chaos erupted today at Nzoia Sugar Company in Bukembe, Bungoma County, as a high-profile protest led by DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya was violently dispersed by police. The leaders were opposing the recent controversial leasing of the state-owned sugar company to embattled businessman Jaswant Rai.
The protest, which had drawn hundreds of area residents and supporters, turned chaotic when police lobbed multiple teargas canisters at the crowd. The motorcade carrying Governor Natembeya and other leaders was also blocked by a heavy contingent of police officers, heightening tension on the ground.
Alongside Wamalwa and Natembeya were several other prominent political figures: former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga, Bungoma gubernatorial aspirant Zachariah Barasa, former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi, Advocate Ndegwa Njiru, and former Speaker of the County Assembly of Trans Nzoia Joshua Werunga.
The leaders had converged in Bungoma to protest what they termed a “backdoor leasing” of Nzoia Sugar Company to Jaswant Rai, a businessman whose involvement in the sugar sector has previously sparked controversy and resistance from both political leaders and workers’ unions.
The demonstrators also demanded the immediate payment of long-overdue salary arrears owed to Nzoia Sugar Company workers. According to workers’ representatives, some employees have gone for months—if not years—without receiving their full pay, even as the state moves ahead with the leasing of the factory to private investors.
Attempts by the leaders to address the residents in Webuye were cut short by police intervention. Teargas canisters rained on the crowd as anti-riot officers forcefully dispersed the protestors, with some attendees fleeing into nearby homesteads and sugarcane plantations for safety.
“This is a betrayal of the people of Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties,” said Eugene Wamalwa, addressing the press amid the chaos. “How can the government hand over a company that feeds thousands of families without consulting the people? We will not allow this.”
Governor Natembeya echoed the same sentiments, accusing the state of ignoring the plight of farmers and workers in favor of politically connected businessmen. “What we witnessed today is state-sponsored impunity,” he said. “The people have a right to know how public assets are being managed.”
The leasing of Nzoia Sugar has been surrounded by controversy for months. In early 2025, the High Court ruled that the leasing of government-owned sugar factories—including Nzoia Sugar—was lawful and followed due process. The ruling sparked an outcry among local leaders and labor unions, who insisted that genuine public participation had not taken place.
According to insiders, Jaswant Rai’s bid for the lease was backed by key figures within the Ministry of Agriculture, raising suspicions about cronyism and conflict of interest. The businessman already controls several other sugar operations in the country, and his expanding monopoly has drawn criticism for allegedly suppressing competition and exploiting farmers.
Workers’ unions, led by the Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW), have vowed to resist the lease. Union officials argue that before any lease agreements are signed, the government must clear salary arrears owed to sugar factory workers across the country, estimated to be in the billions of shillings.
Local farmers are also concerned that the lease will push them further into poverty. “They’ve never paid us on time. Now they want to hand the company over to someone who will care even less?” said one sugarcane farmer in Bukembe. “We depend on Nzoia Sugar to feed our families and pay school fees.”
The protest, despite being violently dispersed, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing battle for control of Nzoia Sugar Company. For years, the mill has served as an economic lifeline for the region, employing hundreds directly and supporting thousands more indirectly through farming, transport, and trade.
The government has previously made public promises not to privatize Nzoia Sugar. President William Ruto, in earlier addresses, had reassured farmers and employees that the company would remain in public hands and that efforts were underway to write off its massive debts and restructure operations.
Those promises now appear to have been contradicted by recent actions.
Several MCAs from Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties who participated in the protest accused the national government of pushing through the lease without involving local representatives. “It’s not just an economic issue—it’s about respect for local governance and public accountability,” one MCA said.
The violent suppression of the protest has drawn widespread condemnation from civil society groups and opposition parties, who see it as part of a growing trend of intolerance toward dissent in Kenya. “Using teargas to silence political leaders and their constituents is unacceptable,” a human rights group said in a statement. “We urge the government to respect the rights of citizens to assemble and to express themselves freely.”
In a dramatic moment caught on video and shared widely on social media, a defiant Governor Natembeya is seen wiping teargas from his eyes as he continues to address the press. “The smell of teargas is the smell of freedom,” one of the leaders shouted to cheering supporters as police vehicles retreated.
With public pressure mounting, it remains unclear whether the government will reverse its decision or continue with the lease as planned. The leaders who led today’s protest have vowed to hold more demonstrations and even pursue legal options to block the deal.
As the situation develops, the future of Nzoia Sugar Company hangs in the balance. For the thousands of families who depend on it, today’s events are more than just a political show—they are a fight for survival.
The battle for the soul of Nzoia Sugar Company has officially begun. Whether it ends in state accountability or further state repression remains to be seen.
