A political storm is brewing in Bungoma today as Governor George Natembeya takes the front line in what is shaping up to be a full-blown resistance against the controversial leasing of Nzoia Sugar Company to Indian investor Rai. He is joined by an influential delegation — Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Members of Parliament Majimbo Kalasinga and Jack Wamboka, and Zachary Baraza. Alongside them, a wave of bold Tawe affiliate leaders is converging to send a message: Bungoma will not be sold off to the highest bidder.
The leaders have decried what they term as economic betrayal, pointing to the recent lease agreement that hands over 20,000 acres of public land to Rai at a meagre 1,600 per acre per year. Governor Natembeya described the deal as nothing short of exploitation, stating that “this isn’t investment — it’s daylight robbery of our public assets.”
Their outrage is not without precedent. Rai’s involvement in Webuye Pan Paper is still fresh in the minds of many residents. Once a thriving industrial centre, Webuye has become, as Natembeya put it, a ghost town —a graveyard of broken promises, warning that entrusting Nzoia to the same investor would be repeating a catastrophic mistake.
The future cannot be mortgaged for short-term gains and backroom deals. “Webuye was a vibrant town; today it looks like a public cemetery,” Natembeya added, laying bare the deep scars left by Rai’s previous ventures in the region.
As the Tawe movement rallies its base, the message is unambiguous: this is no longer about politics; it’s a battle for Bungoma’s economic dignity and sovereignty. The people are awake, the leaders are united, and the fight has just begun.
