The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture John Mututho. Photo/FILE
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU ashiundu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Thursday, August 18 2011 at 22:30
Posted Thursday, August 18 2011 at 22:30
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) rejected 5,000 tonnes of maize shipped from Malawi for not meeting the minimum standards. (Read:8,560 tonnes of imported maize arrives)
But the Industrialisation minister and his permanent secretary compelled it to clear the consignment.
This was disclosed at a sitting of three House committees — education, health and agriculture — investigating the importation of sub-standard maize.
The hearing ended prematurely when the chair of the joint committee, Mr John Mututho, kicked out Industrialisation assistant minister Ndiritu Muriithi, permanent secretary Kibicho Karanja and top Kebs officials for allegedly misleading the team on the quality of the maize.
Mr John Abongs, who is in charge of inspection and quality assurance at Kebs, said the maize had a moisture content of above 13.5 per cent. It was also discoloured, some was broken and had a lot of defective matter.
Dr Karanja said he authorised the clearance because the country was facing starvation, and there was urgent need for relief supplies.
“There wasn’t going to be any maize in the market even for the non-starving Kenyans.”
He said that the food shortage and consequent hunger had made it mandatory that the maize be allowed into the country.
Dr Karanja said he ordered quick milling of the maize to reduce the risks associated with consumption of maize flour with high moisture content.
The moisture content of the maize was 13.6 per cent against the recommended 13.5 per cent, he said.
“Let me be philosophical and say that if shirts are being imported and some have a patch of dirt, our standards are that the shirts have to be sent back to the country of origin.
“But sometimes we have to make hard decisions,” said the permanent secretary.
Besides, he said, Kebs was asked to supervise the milling and even check the moisture content of the flour.
Attempts by MPs Fred Outa (Nyando, ODM) and Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town, ODM-Kenya) to push Dr Karanja to explain where the maize went and where the flour was distributed did not elicit any response.
Extra-ordinary circumstances
MPs had alleged that some of the maize was labelled and sent as part of relief food to Uganda, Bujumbura and Somalia.
“These were extraordinary circumstances, so Kebs did what it would not normally do. You know Kenyans were on the verge of death…we were in a situation which is not normal,” replied the permanent secretary.
Queries were also raised about a consignment of unlabelled maize being held at the port of Mombasa aboard Mv Baltic Voyager.
But Kebs said it had not even allowed the maize into the country.
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