OPINION: Nzoia Sugar Is Not a Stage for Political Showmanship. It Is the Lifeblood of a People.

EoK Editorial | Opinion 

Another week, another political circus, this time in Western Kenya and it's Nzoia Sugar Company at the center of a storm, like always, the biggest losers are the very people politicians claim to be fighting for: the farmers, the workers, the families that have depended on this miller for generations.

Leaders are shouting themselves hoarse some defending the leasing of Nzoia to billionaire Jaswant Rai, others threatening fire and brimstone if it goes through. Cameras are flashing, pressers are being called, and hashtags are trending. But beyond the noise, beyond the insults and manufactured outrage, there lies a quiet, painful question that no one dares to confront head-on: when will the people finally be heard?

The people of Western Kenya, are not naive. We’ve seen this script before. We remember how PanPaper was auctioned off for a song under the guise of “revival.” We remember how promises turned into padlocks, how livelihoods became relics of a thriving past. And now, the same faces, the same deals, and the same investor are back—this time eyeing the region’s last remaining sugar giant. Forgive us if we don’t celebrate.

Let us be clear: the sugar industry does need saving. But not like this—not through backroom deals, not through politically convenient “leases” handed out like tokens, and certainly not through performative protests that insult the intelligence of a community that has carried this industry on its back.

There is a deeper insult unfolding. It is not just about who gets Nzoia, it’s about who gets to speak for us. Since when did Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya acquire the mandate to “oversight” the affairs of Bungoma County? However noble his intentions, that is not his jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, elected to safeguard this county’s interests, seems more reactive than resolute, more political than principled.

And where is the national government in all this? Sending in troops to explain the investor’s credentials instead of listening to the fears and aspirations of the farmer. Their message is loud: “We know what’s best for you.” But if that were true, Nzoia wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.

And to the opposition: it’s easy to stand on podiums now and denounce the lease. But how many of you sat in silence or even benefited when this industry was bleeding to death over the last two decades? Where were you when farmers waited months for payment? Why didn’t you push for a farmer-led ownership model back then?

It is disheartening, this false choice we’re being offered: believe the ruling class or believe the opposition. As if those are our only options. As if no one believes that we, the people, can craft our own solution.

Here is a radical idea: let’s take sugar politics out of political hands. Let’s center farmers, workers, unions, and independent experts in these decisions. Let’s demand public audits, transparent leasing terms, and stakeholder buy-in before one more signature is appended on a contract that could alter thousands of lives. Unfortunately, it's already done!

This is not about Rai. It’s not about Lusaka, Natembeya, or Wetang’ula. This is about a system that has for too long treated the people of Western Kenya as pawns in a larger game of power and profit.

We don’t need a messiah. We need a plan. A real, inclusive, transparent plan. Until then, let every leader know: Nzoia is not your campaign tool. It is our heritage. And we are watching.

By Sebastian Karani Asava

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