The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) officers have seized 15,000 kilograms of suspected contaminated rice at a storage facility in Embakasi, Nairobi.
The impounding comes after an alert from KEBS' counterfeit and quality control officers based in Nairobi.
According to KEBS, 453 bags, weighing 25 kg, had been stored at the warehouse for several months and distributed to unsuspecting consumers since May.
“The bags were hidden behind bundles of flour sacks in the warehouse, which served as a distribution point to unsuspecting consumers.”
“So far, at least 3,000 kilograms, or 129 bags of 25kg rice, have been released into the market without being confirmed as fit for human consumption.”
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However, drama unfolded when the rice owner disputed the findings, asserting that his product had passed a clean bill of health.
He criticized KEBS officers for declaring the rice unfit for consumption, claiming that no proper testing had been conducted to justify such a declaration.
The owner stated that while he had purchased thousands of bags of rice, only a few had been problematic.
He also acknowledged receiving complaints from the public about the quality of the rice, which led to the decision to withdraw the product from circulation.
When questioned about why the rice had been hidden behind bundles of flour sacks in the warehouse, the facility manager denied the allegations, insisting that this was simply their usual storage and organization method.
