The Kenya Sugar Board has made well its intentions to revive the decade long stalled Busia Sugar Factory in Busia County. The sugar board has pre-qualified three companies who have applied for construction of the long awaited factory. Upon completion, the sugar factory is expected to reduce the current annual sugar deficit estimated to be at more than 200,000 tonnes annually.

The three companies that have applied for the construction of the company include Africa Polysack which plans to invest KES 5.7 billion and Cherry Sugar which will invest KES 3.2 billion. West Kenya Sugar Company is the third applicant.

Sugar deficit in the country is likely to drop further when the KES16 billion Kwale sugar plant under revival comes to completion. Kwale International Sugar Company Limited (KISCOL) is expected to  produce 90,000 tonnes of sugar per year and this is likely to cut down the deficit, which pushed prices to highs of KES 200 per kilo in October 2011. Currently, a kilo of sugar retails for about KES 75 up from KES 45 in 2008.

There have been fears among marketers that Kenya's sugar sector could collapse with the expiry of Comesa safeguards. The tariffs were scheduled to fall to zero in 2013 thus opening up the Kenyan market to sugar from regional producers, some of whom are far more efficient and therefore make cheaper sugar. This could be benefiacial to consumers as it would make sugar cheaper, but hurt cane farmers and sugar factories as they would have to sell their sugar for a lower price.