Police officers and officials from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) on Friday, May 26 raided a supermarket in Kapenguria, West Pokot County, and confiscated 650 kilograms of sugar.
The officers who reportedly struck when the director of the supermarket was absent stated that the sugar was in bags that were not supposed to be sold in Kenya.
Speaking to the press, the director questioned why the officials took the goods without any warning to the management.
The director faulted the decision adding that the officers had never complained in the past about such packaging.
Police officers on patrol in Nairobi.
Photo
NPS
The businessman was left stranded considering the high cost of living and the ongoing crackdown on substandard sugar in the country.
“Why did they come now when sugar is so expensive, where were they when the commodity was cheaper,” he questioned.
Additionally, he suggested that the officers should have begun by confiscating the outlawed packing bags before taking away the sugar.
He added that the packaging bags were being used countrywide and it was not fair to target small-scale sugar traders who repackage the commodity.
“Every time the government bans any maize flour, we get a notice but we did get any warning against the sugar,” he complained.
“To our customers, take note that we do not have any sugar today, KEBS has confiscated it,” he added.
On May 17, President William Ruto suspended KEBS’s managing director and other government employees for releasing condemned sugar unfit for human consumption.
The sugar was expected to be converted into industrial ethanol but it was unlawfully diverted and repackaged for sale to the public.
“It has since been established that the consignment was irregularly diverted and unprocedural released,” read a letter from Ruto’s Chief of Staff Felix Koskei.
President William Ruto addressing Kenyans on Labour Day Monday, May 1, 2023
PCS
