Appearing before the committee Tuesday, acting KEBS Managing Director Moses Ikiara told the committee that only four companies were allowed to import raw sugar during the duty-free window that was given by the government last year/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 3 – The Joint Parliamentary Committee probing the entry of contraband sugar into the Kenyan Market has expressed dissatisfaction with how the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is handling the sugar Importation scandal.
Appearing before the committee Tuesday, acting KEBS Managing Director Moses Ikiara told the committee that only four companies were allowed to import raw sugar during the duty-free window that was given by the government last year.
“Four companies were allowed to import raw sugar and that is West Kenya Company, Bidco, Menengai and Sukari Investment Company, “said Ikiara.
The MPs we not pleased as this has not been mentioned before the committee by KEBS officials who appeared before them since the probe began.
“KEBS is not adequately answering our questions and we will include that in our report, this is about the safety of Kenyans and we need to be serious with this investigation, “said Co-Chair Joint Parliamentary Committee Adan Haji.
Busia Woman Representative Florence Mutua also added that after their visit to various depots, they were not impressed by how sugar and other food products are bagged.
“The condition in which the products and not only sugar but other food products are bagged is pitiful. Not good for human consumption and all this contamination might have come from there,” said Mutua.
After a back and forth discussion between the MPs and KEBS officials, the chairperson Kanini Kega (Kieni MP) gave directives that KEBS should submit their sugar samples test results to the committee on Wednesday
The Joint Parliamentary Committee is expected to retreat tomorrow and write its report which will be tabled in Parliament on Thursday.
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