Eng. Nicolas Gumbo Wajonya, Chairman of the Kenya Sugar Board, embodies transformative and visionary leadership that is restoring Kenya’s sugar industry—a sector that has historically been central to Kenya’s economic and rural development but has been weighed down by aging infrastructure, governance challenges, and fluctuating productivity. His technical expertise as an electrical engineer and political experience as a former Member of Parliament provide him a unique vantage point to navigate the complex practical and policy challenges facing the sector.
Chemelil Sugar Company, established in 1965 and commencing operations in 1976 in Kisumu County, holds a prestigious place as one of the country’s largest and most vital sugar manufacturing enterprises. Founded as part of a government initiative to promote rural industrialization and economic empowerment, Chemelil was the biggest and most modern sugar factory in East Africa at its inception. Its initial milling capacity was 85 tonnes of cane per hour, later expanded to 135 tonnes through successive upgrades to accommodate increasing demand. Chemelil’s multifaceted operations extend from milling sugarcane into refined sugar for both industrial and domestic markets, to providing farmers with improved cane varieties, technical support, agricultural inputs, marketing services, and exploring value addition via by-products such as molasses and ethanol.
The company has played a pivotal role in local and national economic development by creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs, generating significant foreign exchange savings by reducing reliance on imports, and enhancing rural livelihoods through farmer support services. Chemelil’s contribution to food security and sustainable agricultural practices is profound, supporting small-scale farmers with access to finance and training while promoting environmentally conscious farming and waste recycling.
However, over the decades, Chemelil has faced challenges typical of much of Kenya’s sugar sector: inconsistent cane supply, underutilization of milling capacity, lack of regular factory maintenance, infrastructural deterioration, weak corporate governance, and management inefficiencies. These challenges led to inconsistent financial performance characterized by oscillating profits and losses, often caused by deteriorating machinery, farmer dissatisfaction due to unreliable payments and support, and external economic pressures such as unfavorable taxation and market competition.
Eng. Gumbo’s leadership at the Kenya Sugar Board marks a turning point. His strategic interventions include digitization of licensing and payments to enhance transparency and revenue collection, the establishment of the Kenya Sugar Research, Training, and Innovation Institute to drive technical innovation and capacity building, and continuous engagement with companies like Chemelil to ensure factory maintenance and agricultural inputs are prioritized.
His hands-on approach involves overseeing the upgrade and maintenance of factory machinery—a critical factor in minimizing downtime and enhancing sugar milling efficiency—and revitalizing nucleus estates that supply high-quality seed cane to farmers. This guarantees a steady flow of raw material necessary for optimal factory performance and long-term sector sustainability.
Beyond physical and operational enhancements, Eng. Gumbo advocates for systemic reforms to strengthen governance structures, foster institutional capacity-building, and promote inclusive stakeholder collaboration across government entities, private sector actors, and farmer groups. The Kenya Sugar Board under his leadership actively encourages diversification of revenue streams from sugarcane by-products, including ethanol for biofuel, power generation, animal feeds, and industrial alcohol. These efforts contribute to building a more resilient and financially sustainable industry.
Eng. Gumbo’s vision also integrates environmental stewardship by advancing sustainable farming methods and resource recycling practices, aligning sugar production with Kenya’s broader climate and ecological goals. He launched the Sugar Industry Innovation Symposium and Expo to showcase breakthrough technologies such as drone-assisted sugar census and precision agriculture, thereby accelerating the sector’s modernization.
Moreover, his role extends to enhancing Kenya’s sugar industry’s international standing through active participation in global bodies like the International Sugar Organization, facilitating Kenya’s integration into international sugar trade and policy discussions, further opening avenues for technical and financial cooperation.
In conclusion, Eng. Nicolas Gumbo Wajonya’s leadership ignites renewed optimism for Kenya’s sugar sector, with Chemelil Sugar Company exemplifying how coordinated investments, innovative management, policy reforms, and committed governance can revive a foundational industry. This revival promises not only economic growth but inclusive empowerment of thousands of farmers, workers, and communities reliant on sugarcane production and processing. With continued support and collaboration, Kenya’s sugar sector is poised for a renaissance—reclaiming its critical role in the country’s agro-industrial economy and contributing substantially to sustainable development and national prosperity.
James’ Kilonzo Bwire is a Media and Communication Practitioner.
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