Four CSs to face Parliament probe team over sugar

Four Cabinet Secretaries are among individuals lined up to be questioned over the entry into the market of contraband sugar that is feared to contain harmful heavy metals like mercury and copper.

The CSs include Henry Rotich (National Treasury), Mwangi Kiunjuri (Agriculture and Irrigation), Fred Matiang’i (Interior) and Adan Mohamed (Industrialisation and Enterprise Development).

They will appear before a joint sitting of the Agriculture and Livestock, and Trade, Industry and Cooperatives committees of the National Assembly on Monday.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi on Wednesday directed that the two committees conduct a joint investigation and present a report to the House within days.

The ruling by the Speaker came after MPs failed to agree which of the two committees should handle the investigation.

Another team of MPs rooted for a select committee as vested interests dominated the matter that has put the health of Kenyans at risk.

Yesterday, the joint sitting of the two committees co-chaired by Kieni MP Kanini Kega (Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives) and his Mandera South colleague Adan Ali (Agriculture and Livestock) met at County Hall, the venue of the probe, and announced that the CSs have already been informed of their date with the MPs.

“The matter we are dealing with is serious as it affects millions of Kenyans. We want them to tell us what they know and what they did about this poisonous sugar in the market,” Mr Kega said.

The committee has until Friday next week to compile its report.