27 gov't officials suspended after 20,000 bags of sugar marked for destruction disappear - LIST

Twenty-seven government officials attached to various State agencies have been suspended from office over the disappearance of 20,000 bags of contaminated sugar that is suspected to have found its way into the market despite being condemned and seized by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

The officials sent home to pave the way for investigations are attached to the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Revenue Authority, National Police Service and Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA).

In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei announced the suspension of the said public officers, adding that the President had been briefed on the matter, termed as “irregular and criminal release of condemned sugar that had been earmarked for conversion into industrial ethanol.”

The 27 officials suspended officials include:

Kenya Bureau of Standards

1.       Lt. Col (Rtd) Bernard Njiraini - the Managing Director.

2.       Dr. Geoffrey Muriira, Director of Quality Assurance and Inspection

3.       Hilda Keror, Manager Inspection, Mombasa Port Office

4.       Liston Lagat, Assistant Manager, ICDN Nairobi

5.       Rono Birgen Chief Manager, ICDN Nairobi

6.       Stephen Owuor, Principal Officer

7.       Peter Olima Joseph — Inspector, Mombasa

Kenya Revenue Authority

1.       Joseph Kaguru

2.       Mwanja Masinde

3.       Stephen Muiruri

4.       Moses Okoth

5.       Doris Mutembei

6.       Chacha Hondo

7.       Carol Nyagechi

8.       Derick Kago

National Police Service

1.       George Mithamo

2.       Joel Kirui

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)

1.       Bernard Ngumbi

2.       Raphael Mwaka

Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA)

1.       Oscar Kai

2.       Patrick Magut

Others include; Joseph Maita Mweni (Port Health), Isacko Bonai (NEMA), Stephen Cheruiyot (Anti-Counterfeit Agency), Daniel Ngugi (KEPHIS), Willy Koskei (EACC), and Edwin Ruto (KPA).

The consignment of 20,000 bags of sugar each weighing 50kgs had been imported into the country in 2018 by Merako Investments Limited from Harare, Zimbabwe but was condemned by KEBS for want of expiry date specification.

After KEBS condemned the sugar, it was taken to a go-down in Makongeni, Thika where it has been suspected to be stored for the last four years.

According to KEBS guidelines, “no goods that do not conform to the Kenyan standards or approved specifications shall be permitted into the country, and should be re-shipped, returned or destroyed at the expense of the importer.”

However, in December last year, KEBS Managing Director Benard Njiraini wrote to the KRA Commissioner General saying “KEBS has received a request from Assets and Cargo Ltd for conversion of the subject condemned brown sugar into ethanol through distillation.”

The letter from KEBS was copied to Industrialisation CS Moses Kuria and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.

Njiraini told the Commissioner General that the Standard Act provides that non-compliant goods be shipped back or destroyed at the owners cost.

In the letter, KEBSs went further to note that however it has reviewed the process for destruction of the condemned consignment and approved in principle destruction of the subject through conversion into ethanol through distillation from approved manufacturers as environmentally friendly destruction.

The letter from the KEBS MD was received by the KRA boss five days later.

Until April this year, KRA had not taken any action, but on the 29th of April Faith Kiara on behalf of the  Commissioner, Intelligence Strategic Operations Investigations and Enforcement wrote a letter to release the condemned sugar in Makongeni, Thika with a condition that pending taxes are paid within 30 days after the release.

After the two government agencies processed the release of the consignment, KEBS sent it's inspection officer to Thika Vinepack godown on 4th May to join the multi-agency team officers and the DCI who were to open the go down forcefully to confirm if the consignment is still in place.

Upon arrival at the Makongeni, godown, the team opened the facility and found that it was empty, despite the existence of KRA seals on the locks of the godown, pointing to possibilities that the sugar had already hit the market and could be on shelves for sale.

The DCI has since launched a search for the consignment even as it pursues KEBS bosses over the whereabouts of the condemned sugar that was supposed to be re-shipped or destroyed KEBS.