President Kenyatta has told off Cord leader Raila Odinga after the opposition chief accused him of allowing Uganda to export cheap sugar to Kenya.

The President asked Raila to stop engaging in destructive politics that undermines the country's economic progress.

"When you say that I went to talk about bringing cheap sugar into Kenya, which cheap sugar are you talking about? Where do you want us to get our shortfall from?" he said.

"Let us work to strengthen our own in this region. Uganda imports $700 million (KSh70 billion) worth of products from Kenya. They export $150 million (Sh15 billion).

"We must look big and think big for the future of our people," said the President, amid applause from delegates from all the eastern African countries at the KICC. Raila was in the audience at the Pan African meeting.

The President dismissed claims by Odinga that the deal he signed with Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni was "reckless, sour and tasteless".

The President said it was more logical for Kenya to get sugar from neighbouring nations to address shortfalls instead of bringing it from overseas.

He said Uganda is the leading export market for Kenyan products and any imports from the neighbouring country would only improve trade between the two nations.

He said the opposition should offer alternative opinions and solutions instead of criticising the government for the sake of criticism.

"When it comes to the interests of our nation, our region and our continent we must speak in one voice for the betterment of our people and for the future of our children," he said.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said that the bilateral agreement signed between Kenyatta and Museveni to allow Uganda to export sugar to Kenya will kill the sugar industry.

Oparanya said that Uganda is a net importer of sugar and allowing it to export cheap sugar to Kenya amounted to legalizing smuggling of sugar from Brazil to Kenya by the sugar cartels.

"The move will hurt the sugar industry that is struggling to stabilize and it may lead to refusal by the Comesa Secretariat to extend the safeguard period to allow stabilization of the industry before opening the gates to free trade," he said.

Oparanya said that he will mobilise Governors from the sugar-growing areas in the country to chart the way forward.

Oparanya spoke to the Star yesterday on the phone from Australia, where he is on a weeklong visit to meet with investors.

Oparanya said that efforts to revive the ailing Mumias Sugar Company and other state-owned sugar firms like Nzoia and Sony will be a futile mission if the deal is implemented.

Oparanya asked MPs from the Western region to speak with one voice against the deal to save the sugar industry.

"MPs must ensure that this agreement does not receive approval when it is taken to the National Assembly since it is a bilateral agreement that cannot be implemented without being ratified by Parliament," he said.

He said that a lot of effort is required to revive the sugar industry, including seeking extension of the Comesa safeguards which could be difficult following a move to allow Uganda to prematurely begin exporting cheap sugar into Kenya.