DNK International By Our Reporter,Kisumu
Sugarcane farmers have rejected the proposed 2026/27 strategic plan for the sugar industry, accusing sector managers of putting the cart before the horse by advancing policy reforms without first establishing a substantive Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) as required under the Sugar Act, 2024.
The farmers have now told the board to return to the drawing board, insisting that the immediate priority must be the fast tracking of KSB elections, which they view as the only credible buffer against looming threats facing the local sugar industry chief among them an influx of cheap sugar imports from COMESA member states.
Led by Kenya National Sugarcane Federation (KNSF) officials Ezra Okoth and Secretary General Killion Osur, the farmers said they would neither approve nor support any strategic plan unless a legally constituted board is first put in place.
They warned that policy decisions made under interim arrangements risk exposing growers to unfair competition and regulatory loopholes.
Their concerns come against the backdrop of Kenya’s recent exit from COMESA safeguard measures that, for 31 years, protected the local sugar industry from duty-free imports from the regional bloc.
With the safeguards lifted, Kenya’s sugar market is now fully open to imports from COMESA countries, many of which enjoy lower production costs and government subsidies, placing local farmers at a competitive disadvantage.
“The first thing that must be done is KSB elections,” said KNSF Secretary General Osur, arguing that farmers must have representation at the highest decision-making level to cushion them against the effects of liberalised imports.
“Without a board, farmers are exposed,” added Okoth.
The situation has been further complicated by recent remarks from Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, who acknowledged that Kenya currently does not produce enough sugar to meet domestic demand and must therefore rely on imports.
While farmers concede the supply gap, they argue that the statement reinforces the urgency of having a substantive board to regulate imports, protect local producers and enforce fair trade practices.
Industry analysts warn that the absence of a fully constituted KSB at a time when the market has been liberalised could leave farmers vulnerable to price suppression, delayed payments and miller manipulation—long-standing challenges that have historically destabilised the sector.
Farmers insist their position does not amount to resistance to reform but rather a call for proper sequencing.
“We welcome the idea of a strategic plan, but governance comes first,” Osur said. “The Sugar Act, 2024 is clear. The board must be established in accordance with the law before any long-term roadmap is adopted.”
They caution that without farmer representation, strategic plans risk becoming technocratic documents detached from realities on the ground, including rising production costs, delayed cane payments and declining farm-gate prices.
The rejection of the strategic plan also reflects deep-seated mistrust within the industry, where past reform initiatives have faltered due to weak oversight and limited stakeholder buy-in.
“History has taught us that policy promises mean little without institutions capable of enforcing them,” said one farmer.
The farmers were speaking during a KSB stakeholders’ meeting held yesterday at Kisumu Sunset Hotel.
KSB Chairperson Nicholas Gumbo and Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire, who were present during the deliberations, acknowledged the farmers’ concerns.
Chesire confirmed that the board had agreed to suspend the strategic planning process pending further consultations.
“We have heard the farmers and accepted their position,” Chesire said, adding that the exercise would be put on hold as engagement continues.
However, farmers say the suspension is only a tactical pause, not a resolution. Their demand remains unchanged: elections first, strategy later.
With Kenya now operating in a fully liberalised regional sugar market, farmers argue that a substantive KSB is no longer just a legal requirement but a strategic necessity to manage imports, enforce standards and stabilise the industry.
As pressure mounts from both domestic supply shortages and intensified regional competition, the sugar sector stands at a critical crossroads.
Whether policymakers heed the farmers’ call to anchor reforms in law, representation and accountability may determine whether the industry survives liberalisation—or collapses under it.
[DNK-International@January 28, 2026]
