Nairobi, April 8 -- President William Ruto has signed into law the first Supplementary Appropriations Bill of 2026, unlocking Sh2 billion for long-running sugar sector reforms, including partial settlement of workers' salary arrears that have sparked unrest across key milling zones.

The allocation comes amid mounting pressure from unions and workers in the now privatised sugar factories who have for months protested unpaid dues running into billions of shillings.

The funding also comes at a time when Kenya seeks to ensure the competitiveness its sugar sector after it formally exited the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) safeguard regime, following the exhaustion of allowable extensions, ending 24 years of protection...