CHEMELIL Sugar Company has shut-down its operations for two months so as to undertake a Sh0.5 billion rehabilitation exercise.

The company's Managing Director Charles Apudo Owelle said the work is meant to significantly enhance plant efficiency and increase sugar production by 200 percent.

He said the rehabilitation is being done by the company's factory engineers and support technical personnel.

"We have however out sourced other maintenance works" he said.

The factory refurbishment exercise will entail major rehabilitation of the following plant operation areas; gantry cranes, pre-mills, refurbishment of mills, and the factory's four boilers.

Owelle said the exercise is important because the factory has not been maintained for the last four years leading to poor efficiency and low production levels.

"As a result, we have not met our financial obligations. We are aware, for example, that we owe our farmers Sh230 million and all efforts are being made to pay them," he said.