Workers seek dues at Bernard Soi’s recently acquired Muhoroni firm

Key Points

• Workers at Muhoroni Sugar protested unpaid dues, intensifying scrutiny on Bernard Soi’s lease amid growing unrest over the privatization of Kenya’s sugar sector.
• Kipchimchim Group pledged partial payments to over 800 workers to calm tensions and stabilize operations after assuming control of the Muhoroni mill.
• Lawmakers demand suspension of leasing process, citing lack of transparency and community involvement in handing over key state-run sugar mills to private players.

Kenyan agro-industrialist Bernard Soi is under mounting pressure after workers at the recently leased Muhoroni Sugar Company staged protests demanding unpaid salaries, allowances, and terminal benefits ahead of the firm’s handover.

The demonstrations, led by the Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW), reflect growing unrest in the sugar sector as new private players step in. On Tuesday, hundreds of employees from both Muhoroni and Chemelil sugar mills downed tools, accusing the government of failing to honor its commitment to clear wage arrears before handing operations to private investors.

Soi’s group scrambles to ease leasing backlash

Kipchimchim Group’s West Valley Sugar, owned by Soi, has assumed control of Muhoroni operations, while Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries has taken over Chemelil. In a bid to calm tensions, West Valley Sugar pledged to begin partial payments to over 800 Muhoroni employees by Friday. “We met with the workers and agreed to begin settling dues as we focus on reviving operations,” said Bernard Soi, Managing Director of Kipchimchim Group.

The 30-year lease of state-owned mills has triggered political backlash in Kisumu County. Six Members of Parliament, including Ruth Odinga and Joshua Oron, have called for an immediate suspension of the leasing process, citing lack of transparency and community involvement.

“The sugar economy here is a multi-billion-shilling lifeline. Leasing decisions made without public engagement are unconstitutional and unacceptable,” said Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron. The lawmakers urged President William Ruto to issue an executive order halting the process pending stakeholder consultations.

Soi’s empire-building drive in Kenya’s sugar belt

Despite mounting controversy, Bernard Soi’s acquisition of Muhoroni Sugar Company aligns with his broader agro-industrial ambitions. Through his Kipchimchim Group, the low-profile tycoon has quietly assembled a diversified business empire spanning sugar, tea, dairy, poultry, mining, retail, and real estate.

The group comprises over 20 subsidiaries, supports 50,000 farmers, and operates 13 Kipchimatt retail outlets serving tens of thousands daily. Its flagship, the Ksh3.5 billion ($27 million) West Valley Sugar Factory in Kericho, produces 2,200 bags of sugar a day and is widely regarded as a milestone in Kenya’s industrial transformation.

The Muhoroni takeover—despite labor unrest and political opposition—is seen as a strategic move to entrench Soi’s footprint in western Kenya’s sugar heartland. As West Valley Sugar works to stabilize operations and rebuild trust, attention turns to how Soi and his fellow investors balance commercial growth with worker welfare and public accountability.

From sugar and tea to dairy and mining, Soi’s expanding enterprise is reshaping Kenya’s rural economy—driving industrialization, creating jobs, and navigating the complex politics of the country’s agriculture sector.