Importers have been allowed to resume importing maize from Tanzanian, but the food safety regulator has said they must meet tough guidelines it has set.
On Thursday, Agriculture and Food Authority said all importers will register on the AFA information management system and present a copy of the registration certificate at the border point.
Documents showing the consignment details and certificate of conformity from a competent authority in the exporting country must also be presented at the border point.
AFA said the documentation will be the evidence that the consignment is safe and need not be subjected to any further analysis. A sample may be taken randomly for confirmatory tests.
Border inspectors will validate the registration certificate against the register, verify the documents against each consignment and inspect the goods.
“The inspector shall also issue a release order for each consignment that has met the requirements to accompany the consignments to the point of offloading,” AFA said.
Each consignment shall meet the maximum permissible aflatoxin levels of 10 parts per billion.
Importers will be required to prove aflatoxin levels with a certificate of analysis from a laboratory with ISO: 17025 accreditation in the country of origin.
“Failure to which the consignments shall undergo a 100 per cent sampling and testing by a competent laboratory with ISO: 17025 accreditation to the relevant scope in Kenya at the importers’ cost,” AFA said in new guidelines.
The government had on March 5 stopped maize importation from Uganda and Tanzania due to high levels of aflatoxins.
On Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Ministry of Agriculture to clear maize trucks at the Tanzanian border points within two weeks.
The directive came following the state visit to Kenya by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and commitments by the two countries to renew trade relations.
When banning the imports in March, AFA acting director general Kello Harsana said tests on maize imported from Uganda and Tanzania were beyond safety limits of 10 parts per billion.”
“The Republic of Kenya is however committed to facilitating safe trade with her trading partners and look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to address the concern,” Harsana said.
(edited by o. owino)
