The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has set the record straight on the alleged suspension of ten popular cooking oil brands.
A recent letter, allegedly written by KEBS Director for Market Surveillance, Peter Kaigwara, instructed the Retail Traders Association of Kenya (RETRAK) to withdraw certain products from retail shelves.
However, in an update issued on Wednesday, September 25, KEBS has characterized the recent reports regarding the suspension of edible oils as false.
Taking to social media platform X, the government agency shared images containing the list of the alleged suspended brands and labelled it 'fake news'.
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This comes even as recent Senate hearings reveal alarming findings regarding the quality of imported cooking oils.
Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Trade and Industrialization on September 19, 2024, KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari admitted that approximately 5.87 million liters of cooking oil imported in 2023 did not meet established quality standards.
— KEBS KENYA (@KEBS_ke) September 25, 2024
"The oil was unfit for human consumption," Ngari said.
Tests indicated that many products contained insoluble impurities or lacked adequate vitamin A, leading to rapid spoilage.
During the inquiry, it was disclosed that out of over a million sampled consignments, nearly 300,000 were substandard.
Despite these failures, some shipments were not destroyed due to ongoing investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) into the matter.
Senators expressed frustration over the Kenya National Trading Corporation's (KNTC) handling of these imports, particularly its reliance on middlemen and failure to ensure quality compliance.
The lawmakers demanded accountability and clearer information on where these substandard oils are being sold to prevent further consumption.
