Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police have stormed a storage facility at Kosiroi in Moroto district along the Uganda-Kenya border where a businessman has been repackaging Ugandan sugar in paper bags labelled Kenyan sugar.
They impounded 250 bags packaged under Kabaras Sugar Factory, a Kenyan based sugar factory. The storage facility has been repacking sugar from Mayuge Sugar Industries Limited.
Police arrested the proprietor of the storage facility only identified as Umar, a Somali national together with a private security guard also of Somali origin. The two are in custody at Moroto central police station pending further inquiries.
Police have opened a case of counterfeiting products and trademarks under SD ref.58/27/07/2021. The Mt. Moroto Region police spokesman Michael Longole confirmed the arrest of Umar, saying that they have also impounded his property to help in the investigation of the case.
Emmanuel Lokii, the Moroto District Production and Marketing Secretary says they were not aware of the illicit dealings of Umar until a whistleblower informed authorities. The development comes at a time the two countries have tension over quality issues.
In April, Kenya suspended the importation of Ugandan maize citing a laboratory report, which showed it was unfit for human consumption. The acting Director-General of the Agriculture and Food Authority in Kenya, Kello Harsama wrote directing the Commissioner of Customs in Kenya Revenue Authority to stop the imports.
“The authority has been conducting surveillance on the safety of food imports into Kenya. The results from maize imported from Uganda to Kenya have revealed high levels of mycotoxins that are consistently beyond safety limits,” noted Harsama in March 2021.
Many Ugandan maize growers and business people cried foul following the ban. Kenya lifted the ban months later.
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