Cancel licence of firm linked to poisonous sugar, say MPs

Two MPs from Kakamega County want the operating licence of West Kenya Sugar factory cancelled after the firm’s management was implicated in importation of poisonous sugar last week.

Mr Ayub Savula (Lugari) and Justus Murunga (Matungu) asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and ensure the factory is suspended from operating after 30,000 metric tonnes of sugar containing mercury were discovered in their warehouse.

Mr Savula asked the Director of Criminal Investigations to collaborate with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to ensure the merchants of the contraband consignment are arraigned in court.

He questioned why the officers who raided the godowns at PanPaper Mills and West Sugar factory did not make arrests after seizing 59,000 bags of the poisonous sugar at the Webuye godowns last Thursday.

He added that the PanPaper Mills should also have its licence revoked for keeping the illegal consignment.

“We want Kenyans to know every step that is being made in the war against the non-consumable sugar that was being sold to unsuspecting customers,” said Mr Savula.

CONTRABAND SUGAR

West Sugar factory in Malava, Kakamega, and the PanPaper Mills in Webuye, Bungoma County, are owned by RAI Holdings Limited.

On Thursday last week, detectives stormed the godowns in Webuye and impounded the 59,000 bags of contraband sugar packed in 50kg sacks.

They then moved to West Sugar factory premises in Malava, where they spent the better part of the day in a closed-door meeting with the management.

Head of Flying Squad Musa Yego is leading investigations into the non-consumable sugar that was first discovered in Eastleigh, Nairobi last Wednesday.

More than 2,000 bags of the contraband sugar packed in 50kg packets were seized in a warehouse in Eastleigh estate.

The poisonous sugar was being sold by unscrupulous traders to unsuspecting Kenyans.

“Senior officers in the present and past governments own substantial stakes in the Rai Holdings, and nothing is likely to happen,” said a source at the West Sugar factory, who sought anonymity.

MUMIAS SUGAR

None of the company’s officials agreed to speak to journalists following the raid. Mr Murunga said West Sugar factory had contributed to the fall of the one-time Kenya’s sugar giant — Mumias Sugar Company.

He said the factory, which was becoming the best sugar producing miller in the country, had not invested in cane development programmes, and did not have contracted cane farmers.

“Today, Mumias is on its knees because most of its contracted cane farms were raided by such millers that have not invested in cane development programmes,” said Mr Murunga.

The lawmaker said locally produced sugar had experienced a drop in sales after the market was oversupplied by the contraband commodity.

The two MPs, who spoke during a free-medical camp at Matungu grounds, also called for action against State agencies that permitted the toxic sugar to sneak through the highly-manned borders into godowns in Nairobi and other towns for repackaging and eventual release into the local market for sale.

“How could the carcinogenic sugar get access into the country yet we have State agencies such as the Kenya Revenue Authority, police officers and the Anti-Counterfeit Agency carefully manning the borders?” posed Mr Murunga.