Kenya Bureau of Standards (KBS) has finally admitted that impounded contraband sugar contains two toxic substances but said mercury is not amongst the two.
From their lab tests, KEBS admitted that the sugar contains high levels of copper and lead. The new revelations deepen the controversy surrounding the "poisonous sugar' already flooded in the Kenyan markets.
"Acceptable copper in sugar is two milligrams per KG. But in the samples, it was found to be 20.7 milligrams per KG." KEBS MD Charles Ongwae told the parliamentary committee on trade.
"I want to be very clear Mr Chairman in the samples we have tested there is no Mercury that has been detected," he added.
The new revelations by Ongwae put into question claims by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i who said the bags of contraband sugar that were seized from a warehouse in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area have mercury and copper components.