This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
Published on October 1, 2019, a Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Committee of the National Assembly inquiry has put the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) under scrutiny over the release of 48 containers of edible oil from Mombasa port.
The oil, manufactured by Palmtop Vegeoils Products Limited in Malaysia, was initially impounded by detectives after Kebs tests revealed it lacked Vitamin A, making it harmful to consumers.
However, Kebs re-tested the products after the importer appealed the initial results, leading to the oil's release to the market.
Committee chair Kanini Kega questioned Kebs Managing Director Bernard Njiraini on the change in the oil's status, asking, 'If you tested the same oils in June and found that they had no vitamin, you want to tell us that after three months you were able to find Vitamin A in the same oil. Where did these vitamins come from if they were not there three months earlier?'
Aldai MP Cornelly Serem alleged that Kebs was under pressure from 'somebody' to release the oil, despite a letter from the Ministry of Health warning against such a decision.
Mr. Njiraini failed to confirm receiving the letter and disregarding its content, instead stating that Vitamin A does not naturally occur in edible oil and its absence does not render the oil unsafe.
