LOSS: Scores of Ugandan Maize Traders Lose Billions After Kenyan Ban

By AWORI ESTHER LUCY

BUSIA- SHIFTMEDIA– Just three days after Kenya shut its doors for Ugandan maize traders are already crying foul

The latest we can reveal is that the traders have so far lost close to Shs 5 billion. These figures were revealed by the Busia Resident District Commissioner Rex  Achilla.

Not only are Ugandan traders crying foul but even traders from East African partner state Tanzania.

On March 5, the Kenyan government through the Agriculture and Food Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives banned the importation of maize from Uganda citing high levels of mycotoxins.

“The authorities have been conducting surveillance on the safety of food imports into Kenya. Test results from maize imported from Uganda and Tanzania have revealed a high level of mycotoxins that are beyond the safety limit,” read the letter.

According to produce dealers, the Kenyan government has so far returned over 70,000 metric tons of maize they had exported to the neighbouring country.

The returned maize is now stored at the Namaubi produce warehouse in Dabani sub-county, Mayombe parking yard maize store and others are in stores in Busia produce market. The traders say they have run out of space to keep that maize since they expect hundreds of trucks that had crossed to Kenya to return with the maize to Busia town because of the ban.

Traders we spoke too at the border said so far close to 100,000 tones of maize have been reshipped back into Uganda sending shockwave thoughts regarding where this inhumane food will be taken.

The officials from the East African Grain Council, the body responsible for ensuring the quality of grains exported across the East African region were held in a crisis meeting when we approached them on Wednesday.

Similar Uganda’s Agriculture Minister Bamulanzaki Ssempijja said the cabinet would soon sit to decide on the next point of action.