Readers have their say: ‘Sugar baron’ has a negative connotation

The narrative mostly delves into the historical issues afflicting Mumias Sugar and other factories affecting the wider sugar-growing belt.

It’s only in the 11th paragraph that there’s a mention of the President’s intervention: “Two days later earlier, he had ordered all persons currently at Mumias Sugar to vacate and withdraw all cases pertaining to it.”

However, there’s no mention of Mr Rai. Later on in the article, there's mention that Mr Rai was under investigation for tax evasion. However, there's no mention of President Ruto being connected to it.

Secondly, Mr Rai is referred to as a “sugar baron”.

The term “baron” carries an unpleasant aura in this country and usually alludes to covert practices such as price fixing, political protection to acquire ill-gotten gains and corruption.

It’s well known that a certain prominent family has a large control of the milk market. However, they are not referred to as “milk barons”.

Being a dominant player does not make one a baron. Referring to an individual as a “baron” insinuates the individual is a shady character.

— Kinyua Thuku

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Headline a vicious attack on government

I refer to your article “When fight over a trademark shouldn’t be front-age news” (Daily Nation, September 1, 2023), in which you addressed Nick Mwenda's questioning of the front-page headline story “How State officials fed you bogus rice” (Daily Nation, Aug. 25, 2023).

It’s obvious the headline and story of were not about counterfeits, trademarks, intellectual property, etc.

Your personal knowledge about those terms is clearly evident, not surprisingly so, but that's not what that headline was about. It was simply another endless vicious tirade against this government---here is yet further proof of their corruption!

At the outset we are told that it was State officials who fed us bogus rice! But subsequent detail in the inside pages plainly reveals that the settlement process was initiated by the defending party, consented to by the offended one, sweetened by an agency sub-deal offer, and legally sealed by State oversight.

All this was pursued under the creed of Alternative Dispute Resolution, a legitimate process, involving consenting parties, formally documented, without any disclosed underhand offers to State officials, and no bogus rice (read harmful) anywhere! The intention of the headline was vile. It prompts me to ask: Is this acceptable journalism to deliberately ride down a regime?

— Michael Hatego, Busia County

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Writers who ignore readers

Why do some journalists and columnists not bother to acknowledge readers’ comments on their articles?

— John Mukiri