By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 16 June 2026 - Members of Parliament investigating a controversial sugar importation saga on Monday took their probe to Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries in Kisumu, where they inspected warehouses, storage facilities and processing plants allegedly linked to a disputed consignment of imported sugar.
The fact-finding mission by the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, led by Ikolomani MP Benard Shinali and Vice Chairperson and Aldai MP Marryanne Keitany, marks a significant escalation in an inquiry that has evolved from a regulatory audit into a wider test of Kenya's food safety and consumer protection systems.
The lawmakers are investigating the importation and movement of 27,839 metric tonnes of sugar valued at approximately KSh 1.5 billion.
The consignment, imported through Mombasa Sugar Refinery Limited, was reportedly classified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) as raw sugar intended for industrial refining rather than direct human consumption.
The committee's visit to the Kibos factory and warehouses was aimed at verifying official records, inspecting storage conditions and establishing whether the quantities on paper match the stock physically available on site.
Speaking during the inspection, Keitany said the committee's objective was to establish facts and understand the entire chain of events surrounding the consignment.
"We want to understand the process, the challenges encountered and establish the facts. Our duty is to ensure that the right procedures were followed and that Kenyans have confidence in the systems meant to protect them," she said.
The controversy emerged after lawmakers questioned whether all legal and regulatory procedures were followed before the sugar was moved from Mombasa to inland storage facilities.
MPs have also demanded records showing when the sugar was manufactured, how it was certified, who authorised its movement and where it has been stored since arriving in Kenya.
During earlier hearings, Committee Chairperson Benard Shinali questioned officials from the Kenya Sugar Board over what lawmakers described as gaps in documentation authorising the movement of the sugar.
"There is no clearance document provided in your documentation. We need to see the document that authorised the movement of the sugar from the Mombasa warehouse to the Nairobi warehouse. We require answers urgently so that we can know Kenyans' lives are safe," Shinali said.
The inquiry has attracted national attention because it touches on concerns that sugar intended for industrial refining could find its way into retail markets if oversight mechanisms fail.
Those concerns have revived memories of previous sugar scandals that exposed weaknesses in Kenya's food safety and enforcement systems.
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Regulatory agencies have, however, sought to reassure the public. Kenya Sugar Board Chief Executive Officer Jude Chesire told MPs that the consignment remains under strict security and has not been released to consumers.
"We hired police officers to guard the consignment already in Nairobi and it was locked and sealed," Chesire said.
Kenya Sugar Board Director of Regulation and Compliance Samuel Kembo maintained that the sugar had never been diverted into the local market.
"This sugar was never diverted or distributed in the country. It was well secured and kept intact at the Kenya Ports Authority bonded warehouse in Mombasa," Kembo said.
The committee's focus is increasingly shifting beyond the sugar itself to the effectiveness of institutions responsible for protecting consumers.
Lawmakers argue that public confidence can only be restored through full disclosure of the consignment's origin, movement, storage and intended use.
The stakes extend beyond a single shipment.
Kenya's sugar sector has long been caught between the competing demands of protecting local farmers, meeting national demand and regulating imports.
Nearly every major dispute involving imported sugar has raised broader questions about governance, accountability and market transparency.
For that reason, the committee's visit to Kibos was about more than inspecting warehouses. It was a public test of whether Kenya's food safety safeguards are functioning as intended and whether regulatory agencies can account for every stage of the country's food supply chain.
As the investigation continues, MPs are expected to scrutinise additional records from importers, regulators and customs officials before making recommendations that could shape future policy on sugar imports and strengthen oversight of products entering the Kenyan market.