Wetang’ula announces Ksh350M payment to Nzoia Sugar workers

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula declared on Sunday, August 16, 2026, that the government had disbursed Ksh350 million in partial settlement of outstanding salaries and dues owed to employees of Nzoia Sugar Company. The announcement was made during a church service at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Nalondo, Kabuchai Constituency, Bungoma County.

Wetang’ula explained that the payment was part of a series of measures intended to resolve long-standing arrears issues faced by Nzoia Sugar workers, who had been demanding their overdue wages for years. The Kenya Kwanza administration's payment aimed to bring closure to the longstanding dispute over unpaid dues at Nzoia Sugar and other State-owned sugar factories.

The resolution of the arrears issue was a significant step in the rehabilitation of Nzoia Sugar Company, which had been suspended due to financial and operational challenges. Since January 2026, following a period of rehabilitation, the mill had resumed operations and was now paying farmers on a bi-weekly basis for sugarcane deliveries. As of the latest figures provided by the company, Nzoia Sugar had paid over Ksh700 million to farmers for cane deliveries since its reopening, processing more than 292,980 tonnes of cane.

In addition to addressing the workers' arrears, Wetang’ula highlighted another major development: the allocation of an additional Ksh2 billion towards the construction of the Bungoma Level Six Hospital at Sichei. This sum, which would be added to the Ksh8 billion already secured from the African Development Bank, aimed to enhance healthcare access in Bungoma and the broader Western Kenya region.

The hospital project had already cleared crucial technical and regulatory stages, positioning it as a transformative facility for the area.

Wetang’ula also emphasized the importance of education, encouraging parents to enroll their children in technical courses at national polytechnics in Sang’alo, Kisiwa, and Matili. He urged residents of Bungoma to actively support President William Ruto’s re-election bid for the 2027 General Election, linking the economic and developmental progress in the region to the broader political agenda.