Mitchell Cotts denies claims contaminated sugar nabbed in Mombasa was released to the market

Officials at the privately owned Mitchell Cotts Container Freight Station (CFS) in Mombasa have dismissed claims that the alleged 780.2 metric tonnes of contaminated sugar stored at the station was released to the local market.

Mitchell Cotts CFS director in charge of operations James Rariaya said samples have been taken for laboratory and quality assurance testing by KEBS and that no sugar has been released for consumption.

The contaminated sugar is part of the consignment that arrived in Mombasa from Mauritius on October 9, 2023.

It was shipped into the country, inside forty-six 20-foot containers, aboard the container carrier MSC Eagle F. 

The ship partially sunk for over twenty-four hours outside the Kilindini channel. Several containers were thus affected by water seepage.

“sukari hii ilikua law container 46 meli ilipata shida ikaingiza maji kuna container 13 zilikua zineingiza maji,” Rariaya said.

And with heightened concerns over the contaminated sugar being released to local markets, Rariaya confirmed no contaminated sugar had been released from its facilities to the local market.

“Hakuna Sukari yoyote mbaya imetoka kutoka kwa hizi warehouse zetu...zilikua separated zile mbaya,” he said.

He added that to determine the extent of the water intrusion on the cargo, it was necessary to strip all 46 containers in a warehouse and separate the bags as appropriate in the presence of officials from the KRA Customs Department, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Port Health.

Rariaya explained that during the stripping exercise, all the waterlogged bags were segregated and stored in warehouses pending destruction, which will be done under the supervision of the relevant authorities.

The other bags that are intact are presently also stored in warehouses awaiting the requisite laboratory and quality assurance test results from KEBS prior to release authorization by KRA.

The controversial sugar was allegedly imported by Rehema Badi who the freight company Mitchell Cotts has confirmed is their employee.