This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
September 30, 2019
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) is under fire after 500,000 bags of contaminated sugar, valued at Sh1.9 billion, went missing. The sugar was confiscated last year due to high mercury levels, rendering it unfit for human consumption.
Appearing before a parliamentary committee, top managers at Kebs failed to provide clear answers on the whereabouts of the sugar. Kebs Managing Director, Bernard Njiraini, admitted that he did not know how many bags had been destroyed, saying, “I cannot say how many bags have been destroyed.”
The lawmakers expressed concern over Njiraini's inability to provide a definitive answer and decided to send a team to investigate the matter further. The team will report back on whether they found the sugar and if not, provide details on the process of destroying it.
Earlier, Trade and Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya had vowed to destroy the contaminated sugar, stating, “The sugar must be destroyed. We have been given a report that it is not good for public consumption, that is why we want it destroyed soonest possible.”
