MPs probe 27,000 tonnes of sugar imported by Kibos Refinery over safety, clearance concerns

Refined sugar. (Photo: Freepik)

By Rachael Mutabasi
Thursday, June 11, 2026

Kibos Sugar imported about 27,000 metric tonnes of raw sugar, with approximately 3,900 tonnes transported to Kisumu and about 2,500 tonnes currently stored at the ICD in Nairobi.

MPs have launched a probe into 27,000 tonnes of sugar imported by Kibos Sugar Refinery Limited over safety and clearance concerns.

The National Assembly Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives raised questions after discovering that part of the consignment had been transported to Nairobi and Kisumu despite lacking key information, including the date of manufacture and expiry date.

The Committee inspected the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Nairobi to verify the status of the sugar after an earlier visit to a Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) bonded warehouse in Mombasa. Members established that while part of the consignment remained in storage in Mombasa, thousands of tonnes had already been moved inland.

Latest Stories

Committee Chairperson Bernard Shinali said authorities could not establish when the raw sugar had been produced, raising concerns about its suitability even for industrial use.

"It is not known when the extraction of the raw sugar was done, and it is therefore possible that it could already have expired even for processing purposes," Shinali said.

The movement of the consignment also came under scrutiny, with members questioning why part of the sugar was transported to Nairobi instead of being taken directly to Kisumu, where Kibos Sugar's refinery is located.

Officials from the Kenya Sugar Board told the Committee that none of the sugar had been processed because the refinery plant was undergoing maintenance following a breakdown.

The Committee has since directed that all activities related to the consignment be halted pending investigations, as it seeks to establish the circumstances surrounding its importation, clearance, transportation and storage.

We want any activity in relation to the processing of the said sugar stopped immediately until all investigations are concluded and clarity on the safety of the sugar is ascertained," he said.