A multi-agency team in Moyale sub-county of Marsabit County Wednesday witnessed the destruction of counterfeit sugar worth Sh 3.9 million.
The 706 fifty kilogram bags of brown sugar were destroyed at the Moyale dumpsite 10 kilometers at the outskirts of Moyale town.
The exercise started at 3:00 pm and ended up at 5:00 pm.
The sugar was declared to be unfit for human consumption by the Department of Public Health and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
Moyale Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Stanley Too led the Multi-agency team to witness the destruction exercise.
The sugar was first mixed with water and then afterwards ploughed by a tractor to mix it up with soil completely to make sure that no one can salvage.
The 706 bags of contraband sugar were nabbed by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers and the police some years back and have been at the KRA warehouse.
The DCC said the sugar was suspected to have been smuggled from the neighboring country and was a health hazard because it had not undergone quality checkup by different quality checkup institutions.
Too has however appealed to resident to be on the lookout while buying goods to make sure that they met quality standards of the KEBS which verifies their authenticity.
The DCC reassured legitimise businesses in the area that the government will not relent in efforts to ensure that counterfeit items do not get into the Kenyan market.
“We are sending a stern warning to the businesses people involved in smuggling of counterfeit items and contrabands that their days are numbered and the law will take its course to everyone who will be arrested,” the DCC said.
By Gatana Muchira
