PRESS STATEMENT ON FATE OF IMPORTED CONTAMINATED MAIZE


The ministry of public health and sanitation has in the past issued statements expressing the Ministry’s concern and stand on the issue of contaminated maize that was imported into the country aboard MV FONARUN NAREE ship sometime late last year.

The ministry of public health and sanitation and KEBS are all aware and in agreement that maize in compartment three (3) of the ship was contaminated, highly discolored not of nature and substance as per law, and high level residues of Aluminum Phosphide (AIP) which is poisonous were present. The maize was unfit for both human and animal consumption.

Food with high levels of Aluminium Phosphide is very dangerous and is toxic. The chemical can cause food poisoning and can lead to cancer resulting in death.

After ministry officials established that the maize was contaminated, and in keeping with the law, the port public health officer directed that the maize should NOT be offloaded from the ship but should be reshipped to the country of origin to safeguard the health of Kenyans from poisonous food.

The ministry never gave permission for the contaminated maize to be offloaded. However, and to the shock of all public health officials and Kenyans, the maize was secretly offloaded against the law and the ship allowed to sail back.

Since then, we have no information as to the whereabouts of the said contaminated maize. We are afraid that the maize could already be in circulation. Statements have been made that the maize has been destroyed or will be destroyed. As the ministry responsible for food quality and health inspection, we are not aware of the destruction of the contaminated maize. If it was destroyed, who witnessed the destruction? Where was it done? How was it done and who authorized its destruction?

As far as the ministry is concerned, the maize should never have been offloaded as this is explicitly prohibited by the law of Kenya (Public health Act. Cap 242, Food, Drugs and chemical substances Act Cap 254, Laws of Kenya) and should have been shipped back to the country of origin as directed by the ministry in January, 2009.

Analysis by our own Government agencies were rubbished and questioned even though the agencies were working as per the laws and their mandate to ensure food safety for Kenyans

I wish to state that this contaminated maize was allowed into the country against my ministry’s expert advice. Whoever authorized the maize to be offloaded should know that this was in contravention of the law and hence illegal.

Due to this, I have written to the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission to investigate this turn of events and any special interests that led to the offloading of the contaminated maize and possible exposing of Kenyans to dangerous and poisonous food.

As far as the Ministry is concerned, there should not be talk of destruction of this maize. There was a court ruling two weeks ago in Mombasa directing that the maize should be shipped back to the country of origin.

I, on behalf of the Ministry, still maintain that the 6254.53 metric tones of contaminated maize is unfit for both human and animal consumption. It is the role of the government to protect the lives of Kenyans regardless of any other personal interests. Kenyans need to be told WHERE the contaminated maize is, why it was offloaded and why the law was contravened.

My Ministry has since then embarked on a routine high level surveillance on maize and its products. The out come of this exercise is that we have managed to seize 2108 bags in Eldoret (in a Miller’s premises). This has since been analyzed and found to be unfit for human for human and animal.

The Ministry will be updating Wananchi as soon as we gather more information on the whereabouts of the contaminated maize.

Similarly all Public health officers are asked to scale up food safety surveillance especially maize and its products.



HON BETH MUGO’S, EGH, MP

MINISTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SANITATION