By setting up the fourth milling plant in the country this year, the billionaire Rai family has become one of the leading sugar manufacturers in Kenya, reports local media.
The Rai family owns three mills in West Kenya, Olepito and Sukari. The fourth sugar plant, Naitri Sugar Company was set up in May with $ 44 million having the capacity to produce at least 6000 tonnes of sugar per day. It will operate as an extension of West Kenya Sugar Company to dominate the sugar business in East Africa.
The country is a sugar deficit and the millers expanding their markets to bridge the shortage is a welcome step, said Saulo Busolo, former chairman of the Kenya Sugar Board, reported Business Daily.
“Our concern is that the miller should pay farmers their share promptly,” he said.
Kenya imports sugar from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) to meet the domestic demand. It imports around 350,000 tonnes of sugar from Comesa however the volumes were capped at 210,000 tonnes last year to guard against the dumping of the commodity in the country.
