NAIROBI: Kenyan government has suspended several officials responsible for releasing around 1,000 tonnes of sugar to the market despite being declared contaminated and hazardous for consumption.
Felix Koskei, the Chief of Staff of President William Ruto, said on Wednesday that the consignment was imported in 2018 but was declared as expired.
He said that despite being deemed “unfit for human consumption,” the sugar was allowed into the market in what Koskei called an “irregular and criminal” act. It had been intended to be converted into industrial ethanol.
Koskei noted that 27 people had been suspended including the head of the Kenya Bureau of Standards, several police officers, and officials from the food and tax authorities. It is evident that some officials in the appropriate agencies have neglected their duties at the risk of endangering the public, he continued.
Kenyan media reported that the retail price of sugar had climbed by approximately a third in the previous month to more than 400 shillings (about $3) for a two-kilogram bag. The government also intends to impose a new tax on locally produced sugar as part of a financial package targeting various goods to increase income.
The country in East Africa is experiencing a severe cost of living crisis due to growing prices for numerous essentials, including food and fuel, while the native currency is at all-time lows.
