President William Ruto has suspended 27 government officials for releasing condemned sugar to the public after it was pronounced unfit for human consumption in 2018 and earmarked for conversion into industrial ethanol.
In a statement, Head of the Public Service Felix Koskei on Wednesday said the sugar consignment, consisting of 20,000 bags of 50 kilograms each, was imported into the country in 2018 and was condemned by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) for lack of expiry date specification.
“Kebs condemned the consignment as unfit for human consumption and directed that the consignment be reshipped and destroyed at the owner’s cost,” the statement said.
Investigators said they discovered that the bad sugar had been released for use by the public yet it is unfit for consumption, triggering the action by Ruto.
The suspended officials include Kebs managing director Bernard Njiraini, Geoffrey Muriira (Director Quality Assurance and Inspection), Hilda Keror (Manager Inspection, Mombasa Port Office), Liston Lagat (Assistant Manager (ICDN Nairobi) and Stephen Owuor, a principal officer. Also suspended from Kebs is Mr Peter Olima Joseph, an inspector in the Mombasa office.
Joseph Kagure, Mwanja Masinde, Stephen Muiruri, Moses Okoth, Doris Mutembei, Chacha Hondo, Carol Nyagechi and Derick Kago were also suspended from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
The scandal has also seen the suspension of two police officers from the National Police Service — George Mithamo and Joel Kirui.
Others suspended are Bernard Ngumbi and Raphael Mwaka from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. At the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), the scam has claimed Oscar Kai and Patrick Magut.
The other officers on the suspension list include Joseph Maita Mweni (Port Health), Isacko Bonai (Nema), Stephen Cheruiyot (Anti-Counterfeit Agency), Daniel Ngugi (Kephis), Willy Koskei (EACC) and Edwin Ruto (KPA).
“No items that do not comply to Kenyan standards or approved specifications shall be admitted into the nation, and should be re-shipped, returned, or destroyed at the expense of the importer,” says KEBS guidelines.
KEBS Managing Director Benard Njiraini wrote to the KRA Commissioner General in December last year, saying, “KEBS has received a request from Assets and Cargo for conversion of the subject condemned brown sugar into ethanol through distillation.”
The process of turning the product into ethanol can only be done at four agencies, which include Kenya Wines Agency and Agro-Chemical and Food Company Limited (ACFC). The sugar was however transferred to Assets and Cargo who in turn gave it to Vine Park Limited and Kings Commodities Limited.
Police suspect that the two companies re-packaged the sugar and sold it in the market to unsuspecting Kenyans.
