The current sugar crisis threatening to destroy Kenya’s industry is being blamed on the companies themselves. According to sugar merchants, the price hikes bought by sugar manufacturers are proving prohibitive for smaller traders and only adding to the industry’s difficulties. Meanwhile, some traders allege that companies are offering bulk sugar to influential people at special prices.
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50kg of locally produced sugar fetched Sh1,975 last September. Now, merchants in Nakuru say that it costs them Sh2,675. One pointed out that, at the source, the sugar costs Sh1,100 before the price is hiked.
Furthermore, a deluge of imported sugar from countries such as India, Thailand, Colombia, Brazil and South Africa is making it harder for traders to compete, as they allege that the factories offer imported stocks to influential people at special prices far lower than those charged from the traders.
