Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya has vowed to challenge Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa in the 2027 gubernatorial race.
In an Instagram post seen by News 9 Kenya, the legislator has said, “There shall be no more handshakes between me and Governor Fernandes Barasa of Kakamega County, and because of this I will vie for governor of Kakamega county in 2027.”
Salaysa has been in the headlines for various reasons, starting with when he won the Mumias East seat, where a woman professed her love for the MP and went viral on social media.
Lately, he has been in the limelight with a court ordering him to pay a businessman’s Ksh 500, 000 debt, him threatening a Kakamega-based magistrate, and his rivalry with Governor Barasa over Mumias Sugar Company struggles.
Azimio Leader Raila Odinga over the weekend spoke on Mumias Sugar operations urging politicians in the region to support the resumption of cane crashing at the factory instead of politicking while farmers end up suffering.
Odinga said, “I do not want to hear more talk about Mumias Sugar. Allow the current investor to work. I am an engineer, I have visited the miller and seen progress.”
The Salasya-Barasa feud has been ongoing for a while with the two leaders attacking each other verbally with Salasya accusing Barasa of not understanding the issues sugarcane farmers are facing in the western region.
Mumias Sugar Company resumes operations
Mumias Sugar resumed operations on December 1, 2023, after milling was suspended for lack of mature cane.
The management has also recalled 787 former employees and has set the price of a tonne of sugarcane at Ksh 6,050 for farmers.
Operations and Administration Manager Stephen Kihumba promised farmers that the miller would be paying them for supplying cane after seven days without any delays.
There has also been a leadership crisis at the company that made things worse. The struggles of Mumias Sugar have also caused an uproar from leaders and residents in the region. This saw President William Ruto step in to discuss the company’s debt issues to ensure operations resume.
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