Clergy wants Kebs, KRA staff sacked over contraband

Suspected contraband sugar which was seized in Kitui, Matuu and Mwingi towns on June 16, 2018 after police raided warehouses belonging to Mt Kenya Wholesalers. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • NCCK wants importation ban slapped on countries that sold the contaminated sugar.
  • Church leaders also want the importer's licenses revoke.

The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has called for overhaul of Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) in wake of importation of contaminated sugar and printing of fake standardisation stickers.

The church leaders have also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the contaminated sugar from shelves and compensation of traders for the losses.

“Kebs should immediately be restructured to get rid of all staff who have been compromised. KRA staff at border entry points who allow entry of contraband and low quality goods into the country should also be sacked,” they added.

PROSECUTION

Speaking at the close of the 12th Upper Easter Region Ecumenical Conference at Gitoro Convention Centre on Friday, NCCK officials vowed they would not keep quiet and watch as the lives of Kenyans were being endangered by a few greedy traders.

“Any person involved in the importation, clearance and circulation of the adulterated goods should be prosecuted with crimes against humanity or terrorism for deliberately endangering the lives of Kenyans. Traders should also be compensated for being subjected to losses,” they said in a statement read by NCCK regional chairman, Reverend David Ngige of the Pentecostal Church of East Africa (PCEA).

Mr Ngige said government should ban importation of sugar from countries that sold the contaminated consignment and licenses of companies involved revoked.

The church’s strong statement came even as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss George Kinoti ordered arrest and prosecution of top Kebs bosses for allowing importation of substandard fertiliser and printing of fake standardisation stickers.