DCI Turns Attention To 5 Traders Over Sugar Saga

The traders are expected to be arraigned in court on Monday, May 22, after investigations were concluded.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
May 22, 2023 - 08:54 Updated: May 22, 2023 - 08:54
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DCI Turns Attention To 5 Traders Over Sugar Saga
Sugar being sold in a supermarket. /STANDARD DIGITAL

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are pursuing five traders suspected of handling contaminated sugar amidst investigations into the release of 20,000 bags of condemned sugar targeted for destruction.

The traders are expected to be arraigned in court on Monday, May 22, after investigations were concluded.

The probe also exposed how two regions in Nairobi County and other parts of the country played a part in the sugar being circulated across retail markets.

Sacks containing sugar. /KENYA NEWS AGENCY

Among the regions whereby the sugar was believed to have ended up include Kawangware, Eastleigh in Nairobi County, Kitengela in Kajiado County and parts of Mombasa County.

Detectives also believed that one of the traders in Nairobi did not disclose the correct amount of sugar that passed through his stores, with the trader revealing in his statement to police that he brought in 1,640 bags of the condemned sugar in three trailers to his depot.

Police believe the quantity of sugar that passed through the premises and into the retail shops could be higher.

Another one of the traders was Crispus Waithaka, based in Mombasa, who was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on the basis of being the alleged mastermind behind the theft of condemned brown sugar.

Immigration officers had pounced on Waithaka based on a departure prohibition that had been issued against him as well as other Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) officials.

He was pulled aside and the DCI officers acted promptly by searching and identifying the suspect before arresting him.

During his arrest, Waithaka was found in possession of an interim order for anticipatory bail of Ksh100,000 issued by the Mombasa High Court in a Criminal Miscellaneous Application dated May 19, 2023.

The DCI officers had escorted him to Kamukunji Police Station where he was detained pending arraignment in court on Monday, May 22.

The Mombasa-based businessman was accused of being a witness to the opening and breaching of the 40 containers with the contaminated sugar that was released into the market.

President William Ruto's Chief of Staff, Felix Koskei, on Wednesday, May 17 revealed that the Head of State was briefed on the grievous accusations of the irregular and criminal release of condemned sugar scheduled for conversion into industrial ethanol.

The sugar consignment comprising 20,000 bags (each 50kgs), had been imported into the country in the year 2018 and condemned by KEBS for want of expiry date specification.

KEBS condemned the consignment as unfit for human consumption and directed that the consignment be reshipped and destroyed at the owner's cost. KEBS National Standards Council approved destruction through conversion of the consignment for industrial ethanol use.

The industrial ethanol conversion was to be implemented under the joint supervision of KEBS and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), within a multi-agency framework.

President Ruto as a result of the irregularities suspended KEBS Managing Director Bernard Njiraini alongside 26 other government officials including eight from the Revenue Authority (KRA), four police officers and six others from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA).

Side-by-side image of KEBS offices and President William Ruto in South Africa. /CAPITAL GROUP.PCS

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