A group of Garissa women traders is furious with the government for burning their 500 bags of rice calling it contraband.
On Wednesday evening, multiagency police officers acting on intelligence intercepted a lorry carrying the rice. The lorry had broken down at Modika, 10km from Garissa town.
The officers offloaded the consignment and set it on fire as the traders watched. They ignored the traders' pleas to take the rice to the police station.
The officers did not comment on the operation, but a government official, who spoke on condition that he is not identified, said they were a multiagency team.
Speaking on the scene, the 50 women said they were shocked by the officers' actions. They said the officers told them that they were looking for illegal firearms allegedly hidden in the consignment but found none.
Mumina Ibrahim, 50, said she has been in the business for 25 years and has never had a run-in with the government.
“Ours has been a clean business. We buy cereals, including rice, wheat, sorghum and maize, from the refugees in Dadaab after the World Food Programme distributes the food to them. We then organise how the consignment is transported to Garissa,” she said.
“At no point have we traded in contraband goods as alleged by government officials. Ours is a willing buyer-willing seller arrangement. What is wrong with that? Why is the government doing this to us when all we are doing is to try and provide for our families?”
Ibrahim said she could not understand why a government would burn food in a region experiencing drought.
Habon Hussein asked why due process was not followed.
“We are still shocked by the actions of the officers. We still insist, if they thought the rice had entered the country illegally, why didn't they order the driver to drive the lorry to the police station and we be taken to court to defend ourselves?” she said.
“Most of these women are single mothers, they are the sole providers of their families. So when such a thing is done to them then it really affects their business. We are seeking answers on why this was done.”
Last month, Garissa county commissioner Boaz Cherutich warned against the sale of contraband.
Speaking when he set smuggled milk powder on fire, he said stern action will be taken against culprits.
A Customs officer who spoke in confidence said there is always top-notch coordination between government officials involved and those transporting contraband goods to avoid detection or arrest by "uncooperative officers".
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
