{"id":125213,"date":"2025-11-23T05:03:54","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T05:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/11\/23\/wetangula-oversees-ksh-230-million-payout-to-former-pan-paper-workers\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T05:03:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T05:03:54","slug":"wetangula-oversees-ksh-230-million-payout-to-former-pan-paper-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wetangula-oversees-ksh-230-million-payout-to-former-pan-paper-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Wetang\u2019ula oversees Ksh 230 Million payout to former Pan Paper Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 23 \u2013 The Government released KSh230 million to former employees of Pan Paper Mills, marking a major step in settling long-standing arrears owed to hundreds of workers affected by the collapse of the once-iconic factory.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The issuance took place at the company\u2019s grounds in Webuye, where senior national and county leaders, including National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang\u2019ula and Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, praised the payout as a fresh chapter in the revival of the region\u2019s industrial economy.<\/p>\n

Speaker Wetang\u2019ula said the payment signalled relief for families whose livelihoods had been disrupted for years following the collapse of Pan Paper after decades of financial turbulence.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is a good day for the former employees of Pan Paper Kenya Limited because they have finally been paid their arrears,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince its inception in 1973, Pan Paper transformed the lives of many people across the country and spurred the growth of Webuye town.\u201d<\/p>\n

He, however, cautioned the former workers not to let the payout disrupt their families, urging them instead to use the money responsibly by prioritizing pressing needs such as school fees and development projects in their households.<\/p>\n

Wetang\u2019ula expressed regret over the factory\u2019s financial troubles that ultimately led to its shutdown, stripping thousands of families of stable income.<\/p>\n

He credited investor Narendra Raval, popularly known as Rai, for stepping in to revive the struggling plant and injecting new energy into Bungoma\u2019s industrial prospects.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thank Rai for reviving this company because he is the number one investor in Bungoma County. He has invested heavily, and now the government has entrusted him with Nzoia Sugar Company,\u201d Wetang\u2019ula said.<\/p>\n

He added that the lifting of a longstanding ban on logging was expected to accelerate the factory\u2019s return to full operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoon, you will see Rai Paper back on its feet,\u201d he assured workers.<\/p>\n

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka also lauded the disbursement, calling it a moment of pride for a county that has long waited for accountability and closure.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am proud to witness this happening and to see our workers finally being paid,\u201d Lusaka said.<\/p>\n

He urged beneficiaries to prudently manage the funds.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s use the money responsibly; let\u2019s not misuse it. We thank President William Ruto for enabling this and alleviating the suffering of former Pan Paper workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Investor Rai welcomed the payouts and said the company would continue integrating former employees into its revived operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am happy that the old workers have finally received their rightful dues, though it has taken long,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmong the ex-employees, I will take one family member from each family. One employee from each household will get an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rai added that farmer payments at Nzoia Sugar, now under his management, are made \u201cpromptly each week without fail,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n

Rai said his commitment to restoring stability across Kenya\u2019s agro-industrial value chains.<\/p>\n

Trade and Industry Principal Secretary James Mukhwana said revival of Pan Paper remains one of the most closely watched industrial rehabilitation efforts in Kenya.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Webuye residents and the families of former employees, the KSh 230 million though it has been long overdue, the payout represents long-awaited justice, it rekindles hope that the town\u2019s industrial heartbeat is finally returning\u201d said Mukhwana.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 23 \u2013 The Government released KSh230 million to former employees of Pan Paper Mills, marking a major step in settling long-standing arrears owed to hundreds of workers affected by the collapse of the once-iconic factory. The issuance took place at the company\u2019s grounds in Webuye, where senior national and county leaders, including […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125213\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}