Mombasa County residents have condemned the destruction of more than 17,600 bags of contraband sugar which were disposed off at the port of Mombasa on Wednesday.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) officials destroyed contraband goods worth millions at the port.
More than 17,000 bags of sugar weighing 50kgs each and valued at Sh56 million together with 48 containers of rice and 64 containers of ethanol valued at Sh288 million were dumped in the Indian Ocean.
The move angered a section of residents in the county who said residents in the region are struggling to feed themselves.
“The government destroyed sugar and rice yet we have a lot of people in the country going hungry due to poverty and lack of employment,” said Ms Amina Ali
“You can not just destroy food when there are so many people who have trouble feeding themselves. The government should have sold the products at a low price instead of destroying them,” said Mr Joseph Kimani, a shopkeeper in Mombasa.
KRA commissioner in charge of customs and border control Julius Musyoki said the containers of contraband goods were impounded in freight stations in the county.
Mr Musyoki said the goods were condemned as unfit for consumption prior to customs auctions by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
“The rice consignment consisted of cargo initially destined for Uganda but the owners failed to claim it,” he said.