House team demands answers on Sh1.5b industrial sugar import

MPs are probing a Sh1.5 billion industrial sugar import over fears it could enter Kenya's consumer market. [File Courtesy] The National Assembly Committee on Trade is seeking detailed answers on the status of 27,000 metric tonnes of raw cane sugar imported from South Africa amid fears the consignment may be diverted for domestic consumption. Appearing before the committee yesterday, Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) acting CEO Jude Chesire and Head of Regulation and Compliance Samuel Kemboi dismissed allegations that harmful sugar worth Sh1.5 billion had been imported, repackaged, and released into the Kenyan market. "No harmful sugar has been released for human consumption and none will be diverted," Chesire said. "KSB has put in place stringent measures to ensure that industrial sugar is used strictly for the purpose it is imported." Chesire emphasised that the Board has not allowed any repackaging or sale of industrial sugar to consumers, adding that importation of white refined sugar for industrial use is restricted exclusively to licensed manufacturers. The committee questioned the legality of Mombasa Sugar Refinery's operations and why the company was permitted to import the 27,000 tonnes of raw cane sugar from Wilmer Sugar Pte Limited. MPs also sought clarity on the movement of part of the consignment from Mombasa to a Nairobi bonded warehouse. Chesire defended the process, saying MSRL is duly registered and licensed by KSB as a sugar importer and had obtained all necessary pre-shipment approvals and import permits. He said the refinery is gazetted by the East African Community Council of Ministers to import raw cane sugar for refining into white sugar for industrial use. The KSB officials assured the committee that the entire consignment remains securely stored in a customs-bonded warehouse at the Kenya Ports Authority in Mombasa, pending completion of customs processes. A multi-agency team constituted by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi on March 3, 2026, is overseeing the consignment. The team comprises KSB, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, State Department of Industry, and National Police Service. Kenya's sugar production stood at 472,773 metric tonnes in 2023, 815,454 metric tonnes in 2024, and 611,576 metric tonnes in 2025, against a consumption of 1,152,205 metric tonnes in 2025 alone. The country imported 608,178 metric tonnes, 338,345 metric tonnes, and 477,551 metric tonnes in the respective years. Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali and Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch expressed scepticism, citing past cases of contaminated sugar in the country. They questioned the effectiveness of oversight and demanded documentation on the clearing agent, movement of goods, and licensing criteria for importers. "The public is tired of the same old stories. We need to be sure this sugar will not end up in supermarkets," said Oluoch. Chesire maintained that all imported industrial sugar remains restricted and is not available to ordinary traders. Import quotas are determined by the national deficit and issued on a first-come, first-served basis, with limits for COMESA and EAC sugar.

House team demands answers on Sh1.5b industrial sugar import

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