Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero today refuted claims that he led to the collapse of Mumias Sugar Company (MSC).
Speaking at Milele Fm, Kidero said that he was able to revive MSC to enable it make profits one `year after he took over as the Chief Executive Officer.
He said that for the nine years he was at the helm of MSC he was able to make over Sh 15 b annually.
He said: “ when I went to Mumias Sugar company in 2003 the company was making losses but within one year we were able to make profits.”
Kidero said that MSC started going down after he left mainly because of mismanagement.
He said politicians were in the forefront to foresee the collapse of MSC as they encouraged them to uproot cane and instead plant maize.
According to him since he left office, many cane farmers have been pleading with him to return back to MSC as the CEO
In order to woo farmers not to give up, he said that he ensured that the storage capacity of the cane was increased to accommodate all the cane the famers were delivering at MSC
He said: “Politicians told farmers to uproot cane and plant maize. Without cane we cannot have sugar. During my stay there I made sure I talked to farmers and discouraged them from doing such things.”
His sentiments come after in 2014, an audit by KPMG on the company’s financial status saw former CEO Peter Kebati, commercial director Paul Murgor and company secretary Emily Otieno being sacked.
The three were sent packing for misrepresenting information to the board in an importation deal that led to the loss of over Sh1 billion following the revelations of an audit report.
The audit report by KPMG revealed how their abuse of office resulted in the sugar miller taking financial responsibility for a third party’s failure in the importation of sugar.
At the same time Kidero used the opportunity and urged Kenyans vote for him in the August 2017 general elections.
He said that this will enable him complete most of the pending projects and programmes that he has so far commenced.
Part of what he said he will do include road maintenance, healthcare including maternity, proper sewerage system and provision of clean water.
