The regulatory body overseeing the value chain of Kenyan crops has suspended the licenses of multiple sugar companies due to alleged overstepping of their milling capacities. This overextension is said to be a factor in the reduction of mature cane.

“Their licences are given annually and we renew them every July so that there is no abuse of these licenses. What we are seeing now is that if a miller has been given a licence to produce 1,000 metric tonnes are overshooting to 3,000 metric tonnes, which means they are going beyond the area they were given,” said the former lawmaker.

The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) reviews and renews sugar milling licenses on a yearly basis to confirm that mill operators adhere to the stipulations set by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).

“Some of the millers are processing beyond their capacities. We are consulting with Nema to make sure that they are complying before we renew their licenses,” said Mr Serem.

Cornelly Serem, the chairman of AFA, announced on Tuesday that the organization has temporarily revoked the licenses of all milling companies. This move is pending a thorough evaluation to determine if these companies crushed more cane than their permitted limits.