BY JOHN NJIRAINI

A major trade dispute between Kenya and Pakistan is brewing after the country imposed new import restrictions on Pakistani rice.

In a move intended to curb the influx of cheap imports into the local market and protect a fragile rice-farming sector, the Government has demanded that all rice entering the country must be subjected to laboratory analysis tests for grading.

The decision is creating trade tensions after it emerged that KenyaRevenue Authority (KRA) has denied entry into the country over 800 containers of Pakistani rice worth Sh600 million ($8 million).

Two newspapers in Pakistan quoting the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan reported the consignment was denied entry after Kenyademanded all rice imports undergo laboratory analysis reports inrespect to grading before being allowed to enter the local market.

Rafiq Sulaman, Reap Vice Chairman said despite Pakistani

exporters getting certificates required for clearance from Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), KRA was still holding the consignment.

"Even any consignment with all supporting documents are not beingreleased without getting the lab test results," he said.

Test report

When contacted, Kebs acting managing director Joel Kioko said the quality body had carried out all testing and provided KRA

with a report.

‘‘We gave KRA a report but its for them to decide whether to release the consignment or not,’’ he stated.

Efforts to get comments from the Commissioner of Customs Wambui Namu were unsuccessful as she was said to be in a meeting while deputy commissioner Kennedy Wanyonyi promised to get back to us with the details but he had not by the time of going to press.

The new restrictions could ignite trade disputes between the two countries that have always bordered on rice verse tea. While Kenya is a major importer of Pakistani rice, the latter a critical market for

Kenyan tea.

Pakistan imports about 80 per cent of Kenya's tea, which earned the country Sh69 billion last year and spends about Sh7 billion to import rice from Pakistan.

Already Reap is calling on Pakistan ministry of commerce to retaliate if the matter is not resolved.