Parliament has questioned the Kenya Bureau of Standards' (Kebs) decision to test a sugar consignment on a ship that docked more than a year ago, conflicting with the self life standards of the East African Community (EAC).
The 40,000 metric tonnes sugar consignment aboard MV Iron Lady docked at the Port of Mombasa on October 31 last year, and should be for local consumption.
According to the EAC regulations on foodstuff, products must have a minimum of 75 per cent shelf life intact by the time of importation.
“The shelf life of sugar is two years and the ship has been in the sea for one year so that is basically 50 percent of the shelf life of the product. Why would you waste your time and money to test something that you know for sure is going to fail,” said Kieni MP Kanini Kega who chairs the National Assembly's Trade, Industry and Cooperatives committee.
The vessel was denied approval to offload cargo at the port following a crackdown on contraband sugar.
Kebs acting managing director Bernard Guyo told the Committee the consignment is yet to be cleared but is being processed to check adherence to local standards.
“Preliminary observation ahead of the full inspection report is that it does not comply with the regulations that govern the remaining shelf life when it comes to allowing products that are supposed to be entering Kenya,” he said.
MV Iron Lady troubles started when details emerged that a ship bringing in 10,000 tonnes of Morocco fertiliser to Mombasa fled to the high seas to avoid the cargo being tested before it was offloaded.
The government said it would pursue the vessel using Interpol to make sure it does not offload the cargo anywhere.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) show sugar prices rose to an eight-month high in a period that imports dropped 58 per cent following crackdown on contraband.
In July, a kilogramme of sugar retailed averagely at Sh137.70 the highest level since December.
Traders have linked the rise to reduced supply following a dip in imports as traders shied away from shipping in the commodity due to a glut and the crackdown on imports.
A market report by the Sugar Directorate indicates total sugar stock in the six months to June stood at 358,000 tonnes compared to the 439,000 tonnes in similar period last year, representing a drop of 18 per cent.
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