More than 60 percent of the maize stored in the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) silos is unfit for consumption.
This is according a revelation by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), which disclosed that after carrying out tests on maize samples across the country, results showed that the maize was sub-standard and unfit for consumption.
As a result, the country could have lost about 7.6 billion shillings to procure the maize.
Henry Rotich, a senior Kebs manager, said 254 samples were tested with only 94 complying with the safety measures. “Our report is true and we stand by it.
The discolored maize with other defects and not contaminated with ‘mycotoxins’ is fit for animal feeds and will be sold to manufacturers and other uses once approved by the SFR oversight board,” said Dr. Rotich.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Agriculture on Wednesday, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri wondered how the maize got bad yet it has been in the storage facilities for less than a year.
“For maize that was brought in a year ago, it’s not right that it’s being declared unfit for human consumption. Yet maize shelf life if well-kept is 24 months,” said Kiunjuri.
The Senate’s ad hoc committee on the maize crisis, chaired by Uasin Gishu Senator Margaret Kamar, yesterday heard that the maize that was discolored and contaminated with ‘mycotoxins’ and ‘fumonisin’, was part of the six million 90-kilo bags the Government bought during last year’s harvesting season to replenish its Strategic Food Reserves.
In February last year, the Government moved in to cushion the public from inflated prices of flour and other maize products after it declared drought a national disaster. The duty waiver period was to last four months from May 2, when the Gazette notice was made.
Prof Kamar urged Mr. Kiunjuri to deal with the situation or risk Kenyans consuming contaminated food.
Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula, the vice chair of the committee, asked Kiunjuri to act firmly.