Senators on Thursday, March 28, approved the Sugar Bill to pass into the Third Reading, proposing several reforms to revive the sugar sector.
During the parliamentary session, the members of the Senate unanimously passed the bill, with 25 leaders voting in favour of the bill while no member voted against it.
The bill, which Navakholo Member of Parliament Emmanuel Wangwe sponsored, seeks to propose several stern rules requiring stakeholders to import sugar only if there is a deficit of the commodity in the market.
Failure to conform to the directive risks a Ksh10 million fine, a ten-year jail term or both.
"A person who imports sugar into Kenya shall before importation, provide evidence that the sugar they intend to import is not available in the local market and shall provide a sample of the sugar to be imported and a pre-import verification certificate from the country of origin," read part of the bill.
The senators also agreed on the provision requiring sugar importers to provide samples for testing before actual importation.
According to the bill, this proposal will protect the local farmers from substandard products.
Further, a Sugar Development Fund and Sugar Levy will be reintroduced to support sugar research and manage services within the county governments.
The Fund is expected to prioritise issues of sugar development across the country and shield the local farmers from incurring losses.
On Wednesday evening, the senators passed two bills into the Third Reading stage including the Sugar Bill and the County Boundaries Bill (Senate Bills No. 6 Of 2023.
The members have since gone for a two-week recess until Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
