By Okong’o Oduya
Water Resource and Management Authority (WARMA) has confirmed that Busia sugar industry at Busibwabu in Busia County is yet to start crushing canes dismissing reports that the factory is releasing toxic substances in River Sio.
Addressing the media after visiting the factory the Director of WARMA Saulo Busolo announced that his team was going around the country inspecting all factories and industries that use water from the rivers seeing if they are meeting the rules set aside when they were making applications.
According to him any company that uses water from the rivers must have acquired the permit and was adhering to the set regulations by the authority.
“We are moving around the nation to inspect all factories that applied for a permit to use water from the rivers as per the permit they applied for besides seeing if the rivers are being polluted by the water emanating from the factories,” said Warma Boss
Accompanied by Western Regional Director of WARMA, Rose Fakuo, Busolo said that after they have gathered all the information they are looking for from the field they will go back to the office and analyze the results before they release reports to the relevant bodies.
“This factory, Busiwabu is yet to start crushing cane. It is early to say it is polluting water in river Sio. We have spoken with management and they have told us what they have done, shown us what they have achieved, shown us their treatment plant and how they will manage any all material the factory. We will go back to the office and see what we have collected before coming up with a final report,” he noted
When asked if they had given an okay to the factory to start its operating Busolo said, as an authority, they cannot ascertain for now until they compile their final report.
“What we are doing today is the normal inspection. We have done it before and we will do it again, I think it will be premature to give a go-ahead to the factory to start crushing before releasing our report,” he said
He further said that as an authority they will stop any factory from operating if it is realized that they are operating on illegal permits.
Farmers led by Hon. George Busera who is also the area Member of County Assembly of Busia urged the authority to speed up with their report adding that as farmers and the factory’s management will implement their recommendation within the shortest time possible.
“We are all in agreement that we will implement what you have suggested as we finish the construction of the treatment plant. We know that the factory once it is completed it will help in improving the living standard of our farmer and our people” Busera said
He urged those fighting the factory from operating to cease their wars in court and instead work together for the benefit of the people of Busia County.
On sugarcane zoning the member of the assembly noted that the two factories in the county, West Kenya sugar, and Busia sugar factories will provide enough market for the cane farmers.
Shaban Wandera a cane farmer called upon for the government entities to speed up their assessment process quickly to allow the factory to start working.
West Kenya and Busibwabu Sugar factories have been in and out of court for the last six years hampering the efforts of the factory to start working as West Kenya factory at Ole Pito in Busia County is crushing canes.
West Kenya sugar factory has a capacity of crashing 900 metric tons of sugar canes a day, while Busibwabu Sugar Industry is said that it will crash 4000-5000 metric tons of canes a day once the machines start rolling.
