Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Managing Director Bernard Njiraini was on May 17 suspended alongside 26 other officials over diversion of condemned sugar that had been earmarked for conversion into industrial ethanol to the local market.
President William Ruto suspended the officials just two days after he fired Health Ministry Principal Secretary alongside the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority and its board over a multi-billion mosquito nets scandal.
At the KEBS, the officials were under investigation for the release of condemned sugar earmarked for industrial use, State House said in a statement issued on Wednesday night.
Investigations into the scandal has also been finalized and the file forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have recommended that top managers of the KEBS and KRA be charged with various charges, among them abuse of office.
The detectives had on Wednesday planned to charge some of the suspects but it was cancelled to allow the suspension of the 27 officials from various agencies and the review of the file by the DPP.
Several officials will be charged while some will be treated as witnesses, according to the DCI’s recommendations to the DPP. The detectives also recommended that others be dealt with administratively or internally.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on Wednesday evening announced the suspension of the said public officers, adding that President William Ruto had been briefed on the irregular and criminal release of condemned sugar that had been earmarked for conversion into industrial ethanol.”
“It has since been established that the consignment was irregularly diverted and unprocedurally released. Further, the conditions relating to open and competitive enlisting of the distiller were breached and the applicable taxes were not paid,” reads the statement in part.
“It is manifest that some officers in the relevant agencies abdicated their responsibilities, at the risk of public harm,” he added.
The suspended officials include those from KEBS including the Managing Director Lt Col (Rtd) Bernard Njiraini, Dr Geoffrey Muriira (Director of Quality Assurance and Inspection), Hilda Keror (Manager Inspection, Mombasa Port Office), Liston Lagat (Assistant Manager, ICDN Nairobi), Stephen Owuor (Principal Officer), and Peter Olima Joseph (Inspector, Mombasa).
Those affected in KRA include Joseph Kaguru, Mwanja Masinde, Stephen Muiruri, Moses Okoth, Doris Mutembei, Chacha Hondo, Carol Nyagechi and Derick Kago.
Other officials from police who are part of multi-agency team that handled the sugar and were also suspended include George Mithamo, Joel Kirui, Benard Ngumbi and Raphael Mwaka.
Others include Joseph Maita Mweni (Port Health), Isacko Bonai (NEMA), Stephen Cheruiyot (Anti-Counterfeit Agency), Daniel Ngugi (KEPHIS), Willy Koskei (EACC), and Edwin Ruto (KPA).
AFA officials affected are Oscar Kai and Patrick Magut.
The 20,000 bags of sugar had been imported in 2018 and condemned over expired date and was earmarked for destruction or conversion into industrial ethanol.
But investigators said they discovered that the bad sugar had been released for use by the public yet it is unfit for consumption.
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