The $35million Waste: Thieves strike Idle Komenda Sugar Factory [FULL VIDEO]

Ten years after the Government of Ghana invested US$35 million to revive the Komenda Sugar Factory, the state-owned facility has become a target for thieves.

Investigations by The Fourth Estate reveal that critical industrial motors and pumps have been stolen from the long-idle factory, further undermining hopes of restoring local sugar production. The theft has exposed security lapses, with the factory’s electric fencing and other security infrastructure no longer functioning.

The report highlights the human cost of the factory’s prolonged inactivity. Sugarcane farmers who expanded production in anticipation of supplying the factory say they have been left poorer after a decade of broken promises. Despite repeated government assurances and new plans to attract a strategic investor, the factory remains idle while Ghana continues to spend billions of cedis importing sugar every year.