Kenya: Sugar Scandal; Over 5 Traders Arrested Over Spread of Poisonous Sugar as Prices Soar

Five suspects behind the distribution of contaminated sugar will be arraigned in court on Monday, May 22.

Police in Nairobi arrested Chrispus Waithaka, the suspected mastermind behind the condemned sugar, upon his arrival at JKIA on Saturday, May 20.

Waithaka secured an anticipatory cash bail of KSh 100,000 before his arrest and faces charges relating to the theft and distribution of the sugar.

“He was in possession of a copy of an interim order for anticipatory bail of Sh100,000 granted by the High Court in Mombasa vide Criminal Miscellaneous Application number E067/2023 dated 19 May 2023,” read the police report in part, as quoted by Daily Nation.

In the letter, KEBS claimed it received a request from the company to convert the suspected brown sugar into ethanol by distillation.

Contaminated sugar in Kawangware

Other suspected five traders in police custody are from Mombasa, Kajiado, and Nairobi.

Samuel Kimani Njuguna, the owner of Samwest Distributors based in Kawangware, is also among the five suspects.

Njuguna recorded a statement noting he brought in 1,640 bags of the contaminated sugar to the distribution depot, Citizen TVreported.

Two traders were arrested in Eastleigh, one from Kitengela Kajiado County and one from Mombasa.

Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers nabbed only 14 bags out of the 20,000 bags of contaminated sugar imported in 2018.

The sugar, packed in 50kg bags and stored in a warehouse in Thika, was estimated to be worth KSh 163 million.

Sugar shortage and prices

This followed a hike in sugar prices to a recordof KSh 470 per 2kg packet across supermarkets and small shops.

The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA)attributed the sharp rise in sugar prices to a 36% drop in local production and an 85% reduction in imports.

In April 2023, the country produced 31,970 metric tonnes of sugar locally, down from 49,761 tonnes in March.

The country imported 14,034 metric tonnes of sugar, down from 93,880 metric tonnes during the same period under review.

Local sugar millers and farmers have blamed the rising prices on the acute shortage of sugarcanes in the market.

According to Citizen TV, the farmers want the government to reintroduce the sugar board, which they say played a crucial role in the development of sugar.