Kenya Retains Higher Import Quota of Tax-free Sugar

Dr Kiome said the planned privatisation of the millers also faces a further hitch in that Parliament is yet to approve a list of nominees to serve in the management board of the Privatisation Commission of Kenya that holds the mandate of managing the sale of all public institutions.

Strategic investors

The Parliamentary committee on Finance, Planning and Trade is yet to approve a list nominees handed to it by Treasury, leaving the Commission crippled in carrying out its mandate.

"All we can do now is to hold onto the transactions because we can only move up to certain far without the blessing of the board as required by law," the Commission CEO Solomon Kitungu, said last month.

Dr Kiome said despite the regulatory hitches, the government would carry on with reforms to boost the competitiveness of the sugar industry.

"We are to carry on with reforms even as we wait for Parliament to play its part. We agreed with Comesa last time on the key areas to be tackled and we will pursue them over the extra period granted to us," he said.

He said the government had already published new laws allowing strategic investors to take up at least a 51 per cent stake in the five government run sugar companies that are scheduled for sale.