William Ruto Is Addressing Thieves, Not Investors, Jubilee Youth Chair Advice Mundalo

• President William Ruto, while on a five-day tour of the Western Kenya region, vowed to deal decisively with cartels in the sugar sector
• Ruto said cartels behind the collapse of Mumias and Nzoia sugar factories had only three options: withdraw the cases, be jailed or go to heaven
• However, Advice Mundalo defended Ruto's sentiments, arguing the president was only addressing a cabal of thieves and thugs

Nairobi - Jubilee Party Youth Chairman Advice Mundalo has defended President William Ruto's recent remarks that have caused jitters in the country.

While on a five-day tour of the Western region, the president vowed to deal decisively with cartels whom he accused of paralysing operations of public-owned sugar factories in the region.

In his address, the head of state said cartels behind the collapse of Mumias and Nzoia sugar factories had only three options: withdraw the cases, be jailed or go to heaven.

The president's remarks attracted a torrent of reactions from Kenyans, with some accusing him of exhibiting the character of a dictator and scaring away potential investors.

How Advice Mundalo came to Ruto's defence

However, Mundalo, who spoke on NTV on Friday, September 1, defended Ruto's sentiments, arguing the president was only addressing a cabal of thieves and thugs frustrating sugarcane farmers in the country.

"The president did not speak to investors, the president spoke to thieves, cartels and corrupt people who have disenfranchised the lives of the people of Western region by ensuring farmers are not paid. The people who have ensured that employs in Mumias and Nzoia sugar factories have not been paid for the last two years," said Mundalo.

He backed the president's declaration to conduct an overhaul of the management teams and revamp the two factories to start operations afresh.

"There is a real problem in the sugar sector and it needs a real solution. The people of Western cannot continue to suffer at the whims and comfort of cartels," added the Jubilee party official who doubles up as the secretary0general of the Interparty Youth Forum.

Why Rai withdrew court case

On Tuesday, August 30, West Kenya boss and billionaire investor Jaswant Singh Rai withdrew all the cases against Mumias Sugar barely two days after the president's warning.

Rai had challenged his brother Sarbjit Singh Rai's bid to take over the management of Mumias Sugar company after winning the lease contract of 20 years through his company, Sarrai Group.

Rai was one of the bidders whose applications to revive and run the operations of Mumias Sugar were rejected.

It was argued that the investor owns three other sugar milling companies that, on average, produce 42% of the country's sugar. Taking over Mumias Sugar Company would have given him total monopoly of the sugar industry in the country.

His brother, Sarbjit, runs two sugar factories in Uganda, Kanyara Sugar Works and Hoima Sugar Limited.

The applications to stop him from managing Mumias Sugar company crippled the once giant sugar miller's operations, resulting in more losses.