However, such negative articles about Sarrai Group and Mumias Sugar revival plans have appeared in the mainstream media, specifically Business Daily and TheStarKenya.
A good example is a full page story that appeared in the Business Daily on 31st May 2023 with the header, ‘Loaders Pile More Woes On Sarrai In Battle For Mumias’. And to show clearly that this was a sponsored story to push Sarrai out of Mumias the Media House went ahead to add a subheading saying, “Workers Want The President To Fullfill His Pledge To Replace Firm With New Receiver Manager’.
There’s an ongoing case at the Kenyan Judiciar, in which TheStarKenya has covered and made good use of S.E.O tactics, where Jaswant Rai has managed to penetrate and pocket. Recently (May 17th 2023), High Court Judge Donna Chepkwony ruled that Sarrai Group Directors should show cause why they should not be commited to civil jail for contemot of court.
The contempt of court is about Sarrai Group undertaking operations in revival plans for Mumias Sugar Company while the court, having accepted lies from Jaswant Rai, said operations should stop.
To rush matters, not giving the other party time to respond, the case on 18th May 2023, was reported to be before Justice Alfred Mabeya, who said he was not conversant with the case and that Justice Donna Chepkwony should issue a rulling.
“I cannot handle this matter. I, therefore, direct (Justice) Josephine Mungare to issue a sentence on June 15, to show cause why the accused should not be imprisoned,” Justcie Mabeya said.
The court was told that Sarrai continued to operate at the firm two weeks after the court orders were issued barring them from operating.
Lawyer John Khaminwa said Sarrai is in contempt of two directives one of July 2022 and April 2023.
High Court Judge Donna Chepkwony who is now on transfer ordered them to pay Sh100, 000 or serve six months in jail.
Fuming creditor reads mischief in the case against Sarrai Group
A day earlier, Mumias Sugar Creditor, Jackline Kimeto wrote to Chief Justice Martha Koome and Judicial Service Commission (JSC) criticizing the way the Court of Appeal has handled the lease case.
She said they have been dragged into circus and controversy by the Court of Appeal in Civil Application No. E185 of 2023 — Sarrai Group Limited v Kimeto & Associates & others.
“The hearing date fixed for E 185 does not even allow the parties to comply with the directions of the court as it is issued before the timelines in the directions lapse thereby compromising the 1″ Respondent’s right to be heard.
“Furthermore, it is not clear how decisions were made between Friday evening and Sunday morning to issue a hearing date in this matter for Tuesday 16th May 2023 giving parties only 1-day notice of the hearing of the Application. In this history of judicial proceedings in this country one will struggle to find a court that gives a respondent a single day’s notice to appear for hearing,” Kimeto indicated in the letter.
Kimeto also wants Court of Appeal President Justice Asike Makhandia investigated.
“I am requesting the Judicial Service Commission to urgently cause investigations to be conducted into Mr Justice Makhandia’s actions and conduct as Acting President of the Court of Appeal and in particular, on how Civil Application Nos. E185 and E187 were fixed for hearing on a Sunday and even before E187 was served, or directions issued in respect of its hearing and filing of responses; and notwithstanding that the filing timelines imposed in E185 had not lapsed,” she added.
Conclusions
Jaswant Rai’s agenda is black and white underhand tactics to scuttle revival of Mumias Sugar Company so as to maintain monopoly and drive farmers into poverty.
Most sugar farmers don’t know this; they were misused, sometimes with violence to aid in suagar poaching leading to collapse of Mumias Sugar Company.
Jaswant Rai doesn’t care about revival of Mumias Sugar Company. Neither does he care about development of Sugar Sector in Kenya.
He cares about the profits he makes out of illegal importation of sugar into Kenya
In 2018, when the DCI raided his Raiply Paper Mills formerly Panpaper in Webuye, illegal Sugar worth Ksh250 Million was nabbed.
After cases of sugar suspected to be laced with mercury were reported in the Country, the sugar that was seized at the Raiply Mills was also taken for tests in the same year where same results were declared.
He was cleared by the Senate Committee which was led by former Kakamega Cleophas Malala, who told the country that after licking the sugar he found it fit for consumption. Mr Malala is now the Secretary General of the ruling party, UDA (Kenya Kwanza).
Jaswant’s smear campaign against his brother Sarbjit Rai of Sarrai Group continues, but thois article seeks to shed light and ultimately stop this Uhuru Kenyatta era rogue businessman who should not be embraced by William Ruto.
Sarrai Group under Sarbjit won the tender to operate Mumias Sugar Company for the next 20 years.
Specific example of negative articles
A good example is a full page story that appeared in the Business Daily on 31st May 2023 with the header, ‘Loaders Pile More Woes On Sarrai In Battle For Mumias’. And to show clearly that this was a sponsored story to push Sarrai out of Mumias the Media House went ahead to add a subheading saying, “Workers Want The President To Fullfill His Pledge To Replace Firm With New Receiver Manager’.
The issue here is not about the incapability to run MSC but the President replacing the Sarrai with a new Receiver Manager. Many would ask who is this new Receiver manager that is supposed to replace Sarrai incase President William Ruto fullfils his promise as stated by the said Loaders.
What Kenyans and Sugarcane Farmers in particular should know is that there is enough evidence to show that Jaswant is now financing the campaign against Sarrai with the aim of seeing him out of Mumias so that he can take over and monopolize the sector.
What Jaswant vowed since 2011 when he first set up a Weighbridge within Mumias Sugar Zone at Tangakona in Busia County was to make sure that the once giant sugar Miller which used to command East and Central Africa is dead so that he can take over as the leader in the market.
It is common knowledge that Jaswant is not ready to allow Mumias Sugar Company to roar back to life under a different person if not himself for obvious reasons. He knows very well that if left undisturbed, MSC would roar back and it would push him out of business so he would rather push it into the grave for good rather than see it operating under a different person something that Kenyans should know that it is not all about his brother Sarbjit.
The people of Western Region whose economic backbone has always been Sugarcane farming should therefore keenly follow these happenings to see whether the Government of Kenya shall succumb to Jaswant’s financed anti-Sarrai campaigns and pressure.
About Jaswant Rai
Jaswant Singh Rai is a Kenyan businessman with interests in agriculture, timber, cement, edible oils, real estate and horticulture.
Companies that Jaswant Rai owns
Specific companies that the Rai’s own include West Kenya Sugar, Menengai Oil Industries Limited, RaiPly, Tulip Properties, and Webuye Pan Paper Mills.
Jaswant Rai’s net worth
After his father’s death in 2010, Jaswant Rai became the chairman of the family businesses under Rai Group. Jaswant is also the executor of his father’s will. His father Tarlochan Singh Rai was an astute well-connected businessman. Estimated wealth are in billions of shillings. Tarlochan Singh Rai left behind money in an account at Absa, all estimated to be worth Sh329 million, and he had no liabilities, according to his son Jaswant.