Sleuths from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) in Bungoma County on Thursday arrested six suspects and seized 550 bags of smuggled sugar worth Sh 2 million.
In a statement by KRA’s Western Regional Coordinator Mercy Njuguna, the agency said the suspects were arrested in possession of the sugar branded Lugazi which is believed to have been smuggled from Uganda.
KRA officers were acting on intelligence when they made the arrests at one of the suspect's home in Sikata area, off Kimilili road in Bungoma County.
The six are suspected to have been smuggling and repackaging the sugar, contrary to the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), 2004.
The suspects were also found in possession of several empty bags believed to be used for repackaging.
A packet of sugar believed to be part of a consignment of smuggled sugar which were seized in Bungoma County.
Photo credit: Brian Ojamaa | Nation Media Group
A total of 117 bags of sugar packed in Butali Sugar Mills Ltd bags were found in one of the suspect's shop along the Malaba-Webuye highway.
The accused have been detained at Bungoma Police Station awaiting to be arraigned in court on Friday.
KRA has stepped up border surveillance at all points of entry to curb incidents of smuggling. Multi-agency collaborations and intelligence sharing has also been enhanced to curb illicit trade.
This comes even as Sugarcane Farmers Associations' leadership in the country has strongly condemned calls by Council of Governors and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to reject the 2020 Sugar Regulations which, among other things, bans importation of sugar and sugarcane products.
The farmers, who met in Bungoma on Wednesday, vowed to support Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, who gazzetted the new regulations.
The farmers said that the new regulations, among other things, will enable them to be paid within one week of supplying their cane to millers.
They also said that the move will help them get production subsidies from both the government and millers.
Led by David Obala, a cane farmer from Tongaren constituency, the famers said that they were shocked with the Senate Committee and the Council of Governors intention to reject the gazetted sugar task report.
"As cane famers we are satisfied with what the task force recommended through the gazettement. We are now only waiting for its implementation," Obala said.
Obala further said that in the past farmers have been casualties of wrangles among millers. Farmers, he said, believe the task force proposals will streamline the sector.
On Friday last week, while speaking in Mombasa, the COG & Senate Committee on Agriculture, in a joint communique, accused Agriculture CS Peter Munya of neglecting and failing to consult County Government leadership in formulating policies such as the tea, coffee and sugar regulations.
However, sugarcane farmers have questioned why the Parliamentary leadership would oppose reforms in a troubled sector that had previously seen farmers suffer huge losses due to either reduced purchase price as a result of influx of illegally imported sugar outside COMESA region.
