Burning killer maize is dangerous, says cereal body

By Evelyn Kwamboka

The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has moved to court to oppose an order requiring it to burn contaminated maize worth Sh83 million held at its depot.

The board said it would be dangerous to destroy 31,871 bags of maize contaminated with the killer aflotoxin by way of burning as ordered by Siakago magistrate’s court in 2009.

"Destruction of the maize by way of burning was a difficult task owing to the large quantity of maize and the same would result in an ecological disaster," NCPB acting managing director, Alfred Busolo Tabu said.

He said obtaining funds from the Central Government for purposes of burning the maize and NCPB being a parastatal, cannot carry out its operations in contravention of public policy on health.

Instead, the board wants the maize held at NCPB’s depot in Ishiara, Mbeere District, destroyed through a process it termed as steeping, which effectively destroys the aflotoxin germs by immersing the maize in acid and thereafter using it for industrial glue and starch purposes.

And on Thursday, State Counsel Victor Wohoro told Embu High court judge Justice Wanjiru Karanja that he needs more time to seek directions from Attorney General Amos Wako over the matter.

The judge ordered that the appeal filed by NCPB through its advocate, Patrick Lutta be heard on July 23.

In the appeal filed at the High Court registry, Lutta said an environmental impact assessment study by the National Environmental Management Authority disapproved destruction of the maize by way of burning.

"In the interests of justice, it is necessary to review the method of destruction by burning in favour of an environmentally friendly and cost effective manner," he said.

He said an inter-ministerial technical committee formed to look into safe methods of disposing contaminated maize rejected the burning process in favour of steeping.