Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiangi has been put on the spotlight over the debate surrounding the importation of contraband sugar into the country.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale on Tuesday evening accused National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and his Interior counterpart Fred Matiang’i of protecting the syndicate behind the importation of the substandard sugar.
According to Mr Duale, CS Rotich had offered duty free status to a number of companies that are behind the importation of the said sugar.
He blamed the CS for failing to smoke out the actual culprits behind the sugar scam.
“Why is the Interior Minister going round Eastleigh, Kisii and Meru. We want to know who is protecting this importers,” Duale said.
He claimed that there are several bags of contraband sugar at a Nakuru warehouse and in Mombasa.
“As we sit here I want to ask the Interior Cabinet Secretary to go Nakuru blankets godown, there are 1 million bags of that sugar, at Ripelay godown in industrial area there is sugar, in Menengai refineries and JB Maina Warehouse in Mombasa there are thousands of bags,” said Duale during a heated debate on the contraband sugar.
The Garissa Town legislator went ahead to name companies he claims had been used to import the illegal sugar.
“One company imported 185,000 metric tones. That company used four different companies. I have the entries. West Kenya Sugar Company imported 34,600 metric tonnes. The same importer used Sukari industries and imported 34,000 metric tonnes duty free. The same company used a company called Menengai refineries and imported 40,000 metric tonnes and another called Amnei was used to import 74,000 metric tonnes,” Duale added.