The Kenya Bureau Of Standards (KEBS) has issued a directive outlining a meticulous four-step process aimed at preventing the entry of contaminated sugar imported during the duty-free window from entering into the market.
In a statement issued on Thursday, KEBS Acting Managing Director Esther Ngari said under the new guidelines, companies responsible for sugar imports are required to furnish a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) and facilitate re-inspection and testing of their shipments at the Ports of Entry.
According to the official, this will be done at no extra cost to the importers.
During this process, sampling will be conducted in the presence of either the importer or an appointed agent. Rigorous tests will follow, ensuring strict compliance with the applicable quality standards.
Sugar imports from countries with KEBS-appointed inspection companies, lacking Certificates of Conformity (CoCs), will undergo arrival inspection at a fee of 5 per cent of approved customs value.
Sugar imports originating from countries where no inspection agent has been contracted by KEBS will undergo inspection upon payment of an inspection fee equivalent to 0.6 per cent of the approved customs value and testing fee.
KEBS directed all inspection companies to adhere to their standards and operate within designated zones specified in the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards (PVOC) manual.
Ngari said that import inspections are conducted either in the exporting country through KEBS-designated agents or at entry points, following established conformity standards.
Last month, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) warned about the presence of contaminated sugar in the market after 20,000 50-kilogram bags imported into the country from Zimbabwe were flagged by KEBS.
As per regulations, goods falling short of the standards are not to be allowed into the country; they must either be returned to the exporter or disposed of, with expenses covered by the importer.
This comes even as President William Ruto launched a crackdown in the sugar industry. The Head of State has been on the spot for threatening tycoons operating in the sector accusing them of capturing the industry.
In the beginning of August, the cabinet led by the Head of State-sanctioned an extension of the duty-free sugar importation period. This measure aimed to tackle the steep retail cost of sugar, which had surged to an average of Ksh250 per kilogram.
According to a Cabinet dispatch, the decision was anticipated to augment the availability of sugar within the country.
Additionally, the cabinet endorsed a plan to commercialize state-owned sugar enterprises including; Mumias Sugar Company, South Nyanza Sugar, Chemelil Sugar, Miwani Sugar, Muhoroni Sugar, and Nzoia Sugar.
"We are streamlining that sector because it has been riddled with all manner of confusion and poaching of sugarcane from one corner to another," Ruto said.
"Everybody is refusing to work in accordance with the law in fact the reason why many sugar companies have closed temporarily is because there is no cane to harvest."
