Saturday, June 10, 2023 – The poisonous sugar scandal has taken another turn that has left President William Ruto looking like a fool.
This is after officials from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) faulted Ruto for blaming them for the scandal whereas another body was responsible.
While appearing before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, KEBS officials disclosed that they were not part of the scandal, as argued by Ruto, who fired several employees, including its former Managing Director Bernard Njiriani.
According to KEBS, the condemned sugar was in the custody of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
KEBS Acting Director General Esther Ngari revealed that KEBS was waiting for KRA to release the sugar and officially hand it over to them.
His views were shared by committee members, led by Kajiado South MP Samuel Kasimba, who read politics in Ruto’s move to suspend KEBS Boss Bernard Njiraini, saying KRA should be blamed for the disappearance of the condemned sugar.
“The people who were in charge when the poisonous sugar disappeared were KRA and not KEBS,” he stated.
On May 17, Ruto fired the KEBS MD and 26 government officials from KEBS, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the National Police Service (NPS), and the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA).
In a statement, Ruto complained that some officers failed in their responsibilities, thus putting the public at risk.
The released condemned sugar was set to be converted to industrial ethanol after the 20,000 bags (each 50kgs) imported in 2018, were condemned by KEBS.
“It has since been established that the consignment was irregularly diverted and unprocedural released,” read part of the statement.
The Head of State directed the condemned goods to be reshipped and destroyed at the owner’s cost.
The Kenyan DAILY POST.
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Ruto and his cabal wanted to remove Njiraini and place his corrupt friends at KEBS to allow his fresh containers of sugar