BY MANUEL ODENY
History was made today when Sony Sugar company was leased to a private miller Busia Sugar for the next thirty years amid audit queries raised over hundred of million of shillings.
On Saturday, the founder and Managing Director of Busia Sugar and Allied Companies, Ali Taib, officially took over the ownership of South Nyanza Sugar Company Limited at a handing over ceremony held at SonySugar Boardroom.
The ceremony came only days after President William Ruto and Awendo MP Walter Owino at a public rally in Awendo rapped the current management over hundred of millions of arrears both for farmers, workers and suppliers.
During the three days visit in Migori county, Owino who hosted the president and other leaders in his constituency took to the podium to call for special audit touching on the company’s management.
Ruto said in two to three weeks, a new management team will be appointed to steer the company forward after the current team led by Managing Director Martine Dima and board chairman Jared Kopiyo failed to control ballooning debt.
He said the new team will be appointed, with a clear mandate to give priority to the interests of cane farmers at the core of the company’s operations.
“Hawa nitwawanyorosha, nitawapeleka mbiyo watanyoroshwa mpaka tuwe na tim mpya,” Ruto said.
Earlier Kenyan government approved a Sh117 billion bailout package for six state-owned sugar factories, including South Nyanza Sugar (SONY) which got over Sh400million.
This bailout aimed to clear debts, lease the factories, inject capital, and ensure optimal operation. The bailout also aimed to save farmers, who rely on these sugar mills.
But Ruto said the new management has failed to take care of sugarcane farmers interests, he was responding to Awendo MP Walter Owino who told the public gathering that the current management should be replaced with a new caretaker committee because they risk running Sony down before a new investor is sought.
“I am speaking as a voice of the people and there is no political witch hunting over Sony. We need a caretaker committee at the miller,” he said.
Owino said farmers are demanding payment of over Sh400million, workers at the firm are owed millions while Sh346million paid by traders to get sugar from the miller are still demanding products.
“We are afraid Sony will not be able to deliver sugar because farmers have refused to supply sugarcane until this team is sent home,” Owino said.
Owino also called on the president to send a special auditing team at the miller to see how Sony can still spiral back into massive debts only months after being bailed out again.
Owino took over from Kopiyo as the Awendo MP and the two have been having political tension which has roped in the county leadership.
In an official statement, the company said Busia Sugar won the international tender floated by the National Government in February 2025 for thrity years.
“The government has in the meantime, appointed a committee to oversee a smooth transition of the four sugar companies (Nzoia, Muhoroni, Chemelil and SonySugar) whose mandate will last for the next 12 months,” the company said.
The membership of the transition committee comprises the current managing directors, officials from the National Treasury, Ministry of Agriculture, workers union leadership and the leadership of the leasing companies.
Speaking at the function, Taib described the takeover as a monumental milestone for his business, promising to pay for the cane delivered to the factory in one week.
The ceremony was conducted by the chairman of the board of directors, Hon Jared Kopiyo. SonySugar Company Ltd Managing Director Martine Dima, inducted the new team into the crucial sections of the core business.
