Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga is demanding a probe into last week’s incident where goons attacked the Chemilil Sugar Academy.
According to her, the incident that took place on June 18, when a gang of about thirty-armed men stormed the school, assaulted pupils, staff and suppliers, leaving at least 10 injured, is linked to control of the sugar company’s assets.
“But I must be honest with you: this attack cannot and should not be treated as an isolated case of thuggery. It did not happen in a vacuum. It happened in the middle of a dispute over who controls that school’s accounts and its fees – a dispute that only exists because of the much larger, much more dangerous conflict now unfolding across our sugar belt following the leasing of our publicly owned sugar millers,” Ruth said in a statement.
The Women Rep is now calling for a full and independent investigation into the attack.
Ruth Odinga wants investigations into Chemelil Academy attack
“One that does not stop at the men who carried out the raid, but asks who benefits from the conflict that produced it”, she added in her statement.
“If we treat this as a simple case of criminals attacking a school, we will arrest a few young men and move on, and we will have learnt nothing. We will be back here again, at another institution, with another tragedy. I am calling for a full investigation into this attack that traces it back to its true origin: the conflict between the new management at Chemelil Sugar Company and the institutions and communities around it”, the MP further said.
Additionally, Ruth claimed that what happened at Chemelil mirrors what has already been happening in Muhoroni where workers and farmers welcomed the leasing of Muhoroni Sugar Company with real hope, after years of mismanagement under state ownership.
She also claimed being aware of serious and troubling allegations surrounding Miwani Sugar Company and the circumstances under which it was awarded to Crossley Holdings, including questions over the company’s assets, its workforce and its conduct towards the surrounding community.
In response to the matter, the Women Rep is now calling for an urgent meeting between the lessees, the workers, the farmers, the parents and the leadership of this region, to be convened without further delay.
