MOMBASA, Kenya – The Council of Governors (COG) has thrown its weight behind the government’s ongoing sugar sector reforms, including the controversial move to lease four state-owned sugar mills to private investors.
Speaking during a high-level agriculture forum in Mombasa, COG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi, Vice Chair Mutahi Kahiga, and Agriculture Committee Chair Ken Lusaka said the reforms are necessary and should not be politicized.
The leaders urged all stakeholders to focus on reviving the struggling sector for the benefit of farmers and the national economy.
The forum was officiated by Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and brought together County Executive Committee Members for Agriculture from all 47 counties, along with representatives from the World Bank.
The meeting was held under the Joint Agriculture Sector Consultation and Cooperation Mechanism (JASCCM).
Defending the leasing strategy, CS Kagwe noted that the initiative is already generating over KSh 14 billion annually, significantly improving the efficiency of state-owned sugar factories while supporting thousands of farmers.
Kagwe emphasized that the leasing model is not about privatization for the sake of it — it’s about restoring productivity, ensuring timely farmer payments, and driving economic growth in sugar belt regions.
He further reiterated the government’s commitment to food and nutrition security, productivity, and farmer empowerment through innovation, value chain development, digital agriculture, and youth engagement.
The forum also reviewed progress on key national agriculture programs including the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), the Emergency Locust Response Project (ELRP), and the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP), all supported through partnerships with the World Bank.
Kagwe praised county governments for prioritizing agriculture in their budgets and policies, calling for deeper collaboration between national and county governments to build a resilient and competitive agricultural economy.
