Lugari MP Ayub Savula has said he will today name 14 companies involved in illegal sugar importation.
He said the companies are associated with senior state officials who have been engaged in the trade threatening the sugar industry.
Savula said he has documents to show companies imported sugar from Brazil without a gazette notice as required by law.
“I have a bombshell. I don’t care and I fear no one. If they want to kill me let them go ahead,” he said. Savula said Kenyans will not accept a report by the joint parliamentary Agriculture and Trade Committee without recommendations. “Sugar that was imported was poisonous and the MPs should not tell us that it should be processed and sold,” he said.
Members of the committee were accused of having a cosy relationship with some of the witnesses in the probe.
Parliament last week rejected a preliminary report by the joint committee. National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi gave the committee 10 days to spruce up the report. The committee was asked to include in its recommendations whether imported sugar was contaminated or not.
Deputy President William Ruto on Friday called on investigating agencies to do a diligent job and ensure those behind the illegal imports are punished. “We’ll not allow importation of sugar to kill the sugar industry,” he said.
Treasury CS Henry Rotich told the parliamentary committee probing the sugar scam that the government exempted duty on table sugar, not raw sugar.
FIREWORKS OVER SUGAR
MPs last week rubbished preliminary findings by a joint committee on the sugar saga, terming its report “shallow and inconclusive”.
The joint committee on Agriculture and Trade was tasked by the House to investigate claims of importation of contraband sugar, tax evasion and to confirm if the sugar in the market contains mercury, copper and lead.
Both sides of the House were united in their outrage and frustration with the committee’s report. Muturi repeatedly calmed down angry MPs who were protesting against the committee’s slow progress and shoddy report.
He, too, took a few jibes at MPs whom he rapped for ‘molly-coddling’ individuals summoned to appear before the committee.
Muturi said the objective of the investigations was lost when members started “hugging and kissing,” those whom they had called to grill.