By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 9 December 2025 - Kenya’s long-awaited Sugar Board elections have been thrown into uncertainty after the Kakamega High Court halted the polls until next year, dealing a fresh blow to an industry already struggling with governance disputes and chronic instability.
The Sugar Act, 2024 requires that the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) elections be held two months ago, but the process has now stalled following a petition filed by Western Kenya cane farmer Bonface Masinde, who is challenging the electoral zoning and selection of farmer representatives.
Masinde argues that the current zoning framework unfairly sidelines growers from the Malava region, a key cane-producing belt supplying what he claims is nearly half of the cane delivered to local sugar factories.
He is seeking conservatory orders compelling the KSB to create a dedicated director position for the Malava zone, insisting that farmers in the area deserve direct representation on the Board due to their contribution to national cane supply.In his urgent application, Masinde listed the Kenya Sugar Board and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe as respondents, arguing that proceeding with the elections without correcting the zoning discrepancies would disenfranchise thousands of farmers.
The petition underscores long-standing tensions over representation within Kenya’s sugar governance structures, where growers have frequently complained that political considerations and historical zoning patterns do not reflect current cane production realities.
Justice S. Mbungi granted the interim orders, effectively freezing the elections and barring the KSB from taking any steps toward constituting its Board of Directors until the petition is heard.
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The matter is scheduled for its first mention on 15 January 2026, leaving the industry in a state of administrative limbo at a time when reforms under the Sugar Act were expected to restore confidence and enhance stakeholder participation.
The decision carries wider implications for an industry that relies heavily on structured farmer representation to guide policy, pricing, and miller-farmer relations. Without a functioning board, key regulatory decisions—including zoning rationalization, miller licensing issues, and cane payment frameworks—may face delays, potentially affecting mill operations and farmer incomes heading into the new year.
The court battle also highlights deeper structural tensions within the sugar sector, where competition over representation often mirrors the economic influence of various growing zones.
With the injunction now pushing the elections into 2026, stakeholders will be watching closely to see whether the litigation reshapes the political balance within the KSB or triggers broader calls for zoning reforms across all sugar-producing regions.
