Two Cabinet Members could be fired if recommendations by Members of Parliament are passed.
Parliamentarians resolved to indict Treasury CS Henry Rotich, his former Industrialisation counterpart Adan Mohamed and a number of parastatal heads for endangering the lives of Kenyans by allowing ‘poisonous’ sugar into the market.
The Parliamentary Committees held the CSs culpable for their actions that saw the entry into the market of the sugar feared to be laced with elements of heavy metals — mercury, lead and copper.
Rotich is on the spot over the three suspicious gazette notices he issued in the importation of duty-free sugar last year.
[caption caption="Treasury CS Henry Rotich"]
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In the Gazette notice number 4536 of between May 12 to August 31, 2017, CS Rotich did not specify the quality and quantity of sugar to be imported despite his Agriculture colleague Mwangi Kiunjuri advising so.
The notice also permitted everyone, including those not licensed, to import the sugar thereby compromising quality and standards.
CS Mohamed was accused of failing to ensure the sugar importation policies were implemented as per the law.
Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), on the other hand, was accused of failing to ensure that quality standards were adhered to.
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) was also accused of failing to implement the report of the 11th Parliament.
[caption caption="Contraband sugar that police had seized in a warehouse"]
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Members of the National Assembly Committees on Agriculture and Livestock and that of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives were initially split on who should bear the burden with some defending the CSs and putting the blame on parastatal heads.
Threats of a report expressing disagreements among the members forced other lawmakers in the joint committee to endorse the recommendation.
The committee further recommended the management of Kebs, KRA), Sony Sugar Company Ltd and sugar directorate at the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to take individual responsibility for failing to perform their roles effectively.
