The Anchor October 2011: Poisoned food in Kitui

Kitui fights off supply
of sub-standard maize

By Ibrahim Tayari 

in Kitui

Residents of Kitui County are demanding action against government officials who sourced the bad relief maize for distribution in the region.

They accused the government of taking their health for granted by disregarding safety warnings by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the public health department who advised that the 10,000 bags in National Cereals and Produce Board silos were contaminated and unfit for human consumption.

The bad maize has sparked fears among the locals over a possible recurrence of the deadly Afflatoxin food poisoning, which claimed more than 200 lives in the region in 2005.

Their protests were vindicated when public health officials in Mutomo obtained court orders to destroy the consignment of the toxic government relief maize in the area.

However, the 180 bags to be destroyed are part of 10,000 bags rotten maize that have been given out to 10 districts in the County for distribution, leaving the rest of the bad consignment to be distributed.

The health officials went to court after the National Public Health Laboratory Services examined the maize samples and condemned the relief food as unfit for human consumption.

On the basis of certificates of analysis from the government chemist which found the maize to contain high levels of moisture content, mouldy smell and discoloured appearance common with toxic maize, the court ordered the consignment be destroyed under police supervision.

Mutomo resident magistrate Samuel Mutai ordered the World Food Programme, the Catholic Diocese of Kitui, local police and other government agencies involved in relief food distribution to burn the rotten maize in 21 days.

According to area public health officer Amos Kilunda, the department moved to court in public interest to prevent possible loss of lives arising from the consumption of the bad maize.

“We had disagreements with departments concerned over procedures of solving the mess but putting public interest first, I seized the bad maize and then proceeded to get court orders to destroy them” Mr Kilunda said.

Locals have rejected the relief maize terming the offer as an insult to their dignity and highest form of mischief by state agents.

MPs Isaac Muoki (Kitui south) and Charles Nyamai (Kitui west) have condemned the exercise and threatened to sue the government if the relief maize is not withdrawn.

“Kitui County is not the dumping ground for all the trash in government grain stores. This mischief to risk people lives in the name of feeding the starving is unacceptable and the government must halt the exercise forthwith” said Mr Nyamai.

The two MPs who blamed Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s office for the failing to stop importation of bad maize alleged a political motive by certain forces to create a wedge between elected leaders and the people.

“We lost dozens of people in recent past over similar food poisoning blunders, we’ll not allow government to cause another catastrophe. This food must be withdrawn and fresh one supplied” Mr Muoki said.

KBS recently rejected 5000 tonnes of maize shipped from Malawi for not meeting the minimum standards but were compelled by acting Minister for Industrialization Amason Kingi and his permanent secretary Kibicho Karanja to clear the consignment.

Mr John Abongs, who is in charge of inspection and quality assurance at Kebs, said the maize had a moisture content of above 13.5 per cent. It was also discoloured, some was broken and had a lot of defective matter.

The PS told a joint session of three parliamentary committees last week that he authorized the clearance because the country was facing starvation, and there was urgent need for relief supplies.

“There wasn’t going to be any maize in the market even for the non-starving Kenyans.”  Dr Karanja said adding the food shortage in the country made it mandatory to allow into the country.

According to certificates of analysis  the Kitui consignment is unfit for human consumption because it contains moisture content above the regulatory limits.

The tests by the Government Chemist were done on August 2, at the request of the local public health officials after residents complained that the maize was mould. The results promptly communicated to district commissioners who are in charge of the distribution process.

Mr George Ogana, a public analyst at the government laboratories invoked the Food, drugs and chemical substances Act to declare the consignment should be destroyed.

Mrs Naomi Syovata Muasya, aged 82 year old woman in Kabati area of Kitui west constituency is among residents who experienced vomiting and diarrhea after consuming the bad maize supplied by the government

Various players charged with the responsibility of relief food distribution revealed disagreements and a blame game with provincial administrators denying responsibility for the mess.

Kitui catholic diocese which collaborates with World Food Programme as the lead agency in the exercise also distanced them from blame.

Diocese co-coordinator Antony Mbandi said they were not involved in sourcing the grains and that theirs is merely to distribute what is handed to them.

Lower eastern Regional Commissioner Joseph Otieno also defended DCs in the region that their job was to simply coordinate the whole exercise and had no capacity to verify its quality and safety.

“I want to assure all residents that the government takes their concerns very seriously and all efforts will be made not to compromise the safety of Kenyans” he said adding that he had directed DCs to ensure all consignments are verified by public health officials before they are released from NCPB.