By: Eng. Okumu Ngwalla M.F (Formerly – Process Engineer – South Nyanza Sugar Co. Ltd, Kenya.)

ABSTRACT
The art of producing sugar is a very challenging exercise. This is because it involves extensive use of sophisticated machines/management of human resource and materials into a finished product i.e. sugar.

The raw materials are sugar beet and sugar cane and other corrective materials like lime sulphur and alcohol depending on seeding process.

In Kenya sugar processing involves use of steam power generated from the boilers using bagasse, a by product of sugar cane to drive the mill turbines for crushing cane and turbo alternator to generate electricity used in the factory.
In Kenya two processes are in use to extract juice from sugar cane: diffusion and crushing. Mumias Sugar Company uses diffusion.