Nairobi — MPs from the sugar belt claim the Government plans to allow sugar imports.

Addressing the Press at Parliament Buildings, the MPs, led by ODM Chairman, Mr Henry Kosgey, said on Wednesday that the Government planned to flood the market with cheap imports and use post-election violence as an excuse.

Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) invited sugar factories' managing directors for a meeting in Nairobi, on Thursday, to discuss the effects of the violence on the sector.

The acting KSB Chief Executive Officer, Ms Rosemary Mkok, signed the letters inviting the MDs.

Kosgey said they would use all means to block imports above the 200,000 metric tonnes Kenya is allowed to import from Comesa member countries annually.

Kosgey, who is from the Tinderet-Chemelil sugar belt, and MPs, Mr Alfred Sambu (Webuye-Nzoia), Mr Ben Washiali (Mumias) and Mr Ayiecho Olweny (Muhoroni), said farmers would suffer if cheap imports flooded the market. They said a meeting Mkok had convened was ordered by senior Government officials to authorise the imports for sugar barons to make a kill. "We cannot allow them to dump sugar from Brazil in the market when we know there is enough cane to crush as some sugar zones had excess over mature cane," claimed Kosgey.

On Thursday, Washiali and Sambu vowed to ensure that no sugar from non-Comesa countries landed in the local market.

"They want to legitimise sugar imports from Brazil to kill the industry. Brazil is not a Comesa member state," added Washiali.

Mkok had said the meeting would receive data from each factory on loss. However, Mumias Sugar Company, Kenya's leading sugar producer, said there was no cause for alarm because the country had enough stock.

The managing director, Dr Evans Kidero, said the company had started distributing 200,000 bags of sugar, which had been stored due to transport crisis. He said the crisis was caused by insecurity, but normal operations had resumed.

"We are feeding distributors with enough sugar since the roads have opened and the security risks are now minimal," added Kidero.

But Mkok indicated in her letter that the meeting would discuss proposals on how to cushion the industry from effects of the violence.

She said the proposals would include how compensation and reconstruction could be financed.