State agencies in Mombasa have started destroying contaminated maize imported from a southern African nation after it was declared unfit for human consumption last year.
The over 201 containers with maize declared unfit for human have been lying at a container freight station in Mombasa.
On August 23, Kebs had written to Kenya Ports Authority operations chief manager rejecting the consignment.
“Samples were below std [standard] against Kenya Standard Specification Maize Grains. The product failed to comply in aflatoxin,” the letter signed by regional manager Musa Saleri reads.
He ordered the maize to be reshipped to the country of origin within 39 days. “Failure to which the same shall be destroyed at your cost,” Saleri said.
According to Moses Mburu, a National Environmental Management Authority officer, a multi-agency security team had been providing security.
“It is a huge consignment that will take up to 20 working days to destroy,” he said.
On Thursday, Mr. Mburu said maize in 10 containers was moved to Bamburi Portland Cement, which has been licensed as a designated destruction site for condemned goods, for destruction.
“We use denaturing, which involves mixing the maize with used oil, and then burning it,” he said.
Documents indicated that Mahindra and Mahindra South Africa PTY Limited, a company based in Nairobi, imported the cargo from Mozambique Fertilizer Company, LDA. Sources said each container had 520 bags of maize.
Since last year, police in Mombasa have been investigating the consignment of 9.4 tonnes of maize but have maintained silence over the matter that has been festering since last October.
Officials said the maize had to be destroyed out of fear that it could be sneaked into the market.
The maize, worth over Sh300 million, is alleged to have been afflicted with aflatoxin, and was found at Consolbase Warehouse in Changamwe, Mombasa.
On November 18, last year, when the reports first emerged, a multi-agency team led by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Kenya Bureau of Standards stormed the warehouse to stop the maize getting into the market.
In July 2,856 bags of contaminated maize were found in the National Cereals and Produce Board depot in Marsabit county. The board denied owning the maize.
Public Health department officials took samples and found the level of aflatoxin was eight times higher than the recommended limit and it also had weevils.
The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation defines aflatoxin as a carcinogenic fungal toxin that has serious negative consequences on health, trade and food security.
Over the years, the country has experienced multiple aflatoxicosis outbreaks, which often result in fatalities. Kenya was mapped as an aflatoxin hotspot. Aflatoxin is a leading cause of liver cancer.