Kebs suspends two official over illegal imports

Two senior Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) officials have been interdicted for allowing the entry of sugar and other imported items at the port of Mombasa unprocedurally.

Kebs acting managing director Moses Ikiara said the officials failed to follow the organisation’s standard operating procedures.

In a telephone interview on Thursday, Mr Ikiara said the two were being interrogated by detectives from a multi-agency team.

He added that the officials will face the usual disciplinary process and, if found not guilty, they will resume their duties.

SUPERVISING

“If they will be found to have involved themselves in malpractices, then they will be punished. We have security agencies such as DCI, National Intelligence Service and other bodies also investigating the matter,” said the Kebs boss.

Mr Ikiara, however, failed to name the goods the officials mishandled, adding that Kebs monitors a lot of goods including cooking oil, rice and other household items.

“I cannot remember the goods they mishandled because we handle a lot of goods. I know focus by Kenyans is on sugar. We are also supervising the entrance of all imports, so I cannot be specific on the goods they mishandled,” he said.

ILLEGAL

The acting MD said that the organisation had enhanced efforts to curb the entrance of illegal goods into the Kenyan market.

“One of the efforts taken is to make sure that our officers work according to the established standard operating procedures that ensure keenness for all our workers.

"We also have other levels of oversight to make sure there is proper service delivery in the organisation,” Mr Ikiara said.

VERIFICATION

He added that Kebs has embarked on sampling based on risk assessment.

“Initially it was high risk goods that we had to carry out a 100 per cent verification to stop the entrance of substandard goods but we have now changed the trend with all goods imported into the country undergoing 100 per cent verification,” the acting MD said.

He said Kebs is now more vigilant and is coordinating with other agencies such as ports authority, railways, anti-counterfeit, KRA and others.