Nairobi — The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has dismissed claims by the opposition alleging the release of 25,000 metric tonnes of contaminated sugar into the local market.
KEBS termed claims that the consignment was undergoing repackaging at a factory in Western Kenya untrue.
In a statement issued on Thursday, KEBS said all locally produced and imported sugar undergoes "mandatory and rigorous inspection, testing, and certification" before its release to consumers, terming the allegations as "unverified and alarming."
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"KEBS would like to dispel these allegations and ascertain that no consignment of sugar unfit for human consumption has [been] cleared for release into the Kenyan market," the standards agency said.
The response came after Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka led opposition leaders in raising concerns over what they described as a "deliberate scheme" to endanger public health by releasing substandard sugar into the market.
"We are aware of a cargo of 25,000MT of sugar that recently landed in our Port of Mombasa. These 25,000MT of sugar are already on their way to a Western Kenya sugar factory to [be] repackaged and sold to unsuspecting Kenyans," Musyoka said.
'Political and commercial interests'
He claimed KEBS cleared the consignment, "flagged" at its origin as "unfit for human consumption".
"The Ruto regime has quickly cleared it," he alleged, accusing President William Ruto's government of prioritizing "political and commercial interests" over citizens' health.
The opposition leaders demanded that the government public condemns the sugar and destroys it.
"We demand that this consignment, already earmarked, [be] publicly condemned and destroyed as it [is] unfit for public consumption," Musyoka said.
KEBS, however, maintained that it remains vigilant in its duty to protect consumers and urged members of the public to disregard misinformation circulating on social media and other platforms.
The agency also encouraged Kenyans to use its "Wajibika na KEBS" platform to verify products and report any suspected cases of substandard goods through the toll-free number 1545.
