Commissioner Warns Cane Arsonists to be Charged for Economic Sabotage
A stern warning has been issued to individuals setting fire to sugarcane plantations in Nandi County, with authorities stating they will face severe charges of economic sabotage. The County Commissioner, Herman Shambi, delivered the ultimatum following a series of deliberate fires that have destroyed hundreds of acres of mature cane, inflicting massive losses on farmers and the sugar industry. The commissioner classified the acts not as petty crime, but as a deliberate attack on the region’s economic backbone.
The arson attacks have been linked to longstanding disputes between farmers and sugar millers over unpaid dues and harvesting schedules. However, the commissioner condemned the use of destruction as a means of protest, stating it only worsens the financial situation for everyone involved, including the perpetrators who are often farmers themselves. A multi-agency security team has been mobilized to investigate the fires and pursue the arsonists, with plans to deploy night patrols in the sugarcane zones.
The government is treating this as a serious economic crime, and suspects, once apprehended, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The commissioner urged farmers to use legal and diplomatic channels to resolve their grievances with the sugar companies, warning that the ongoing destruction threatens the very existence of the sugar industry in the region and the livelihoods of thousands who depend on it.