Officers from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) have seized 15,000 kilograms of suspected contaminated rice from a warehouse in Nairobi’s Embakasi area.
The discovery came after an alert from KEBS’ counterfeit and quality control officers, who had been monitoring the facility in the capital.
The rice, stored in 453 bags weighing 25 kilograms each, had been in the warehouse for several months before being distributed to consumers starting in May.
The bags were reportedly concealed behind stacks of flour sacks, and the warehouse served as a distribution point for unsuspecting customers.
At least 3,000 kilograms, or 129 bags, of the rice have already entered the market without being tested or confirmed as safe for human consumption.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when the owner of the rice contested KEBS’ findings, insisting that the product had passed quality checks.
He criticized the agency for declaring the rice unfit for consumption, claiming that no proper testing had been conducted to support the decision.
The owner acknowledged that some complaints about the rice’s quality had been received from the public, but he insisted that only a few bags had been problematic.
In response to the quality issues, he stated that he had taken steps to withdraw the rice from circulation.
When questioned about the location of the rice within the warehouse, where it was found hidden behind flour sacks, the facility manager denied any wrongdoing.
He explained that this was simply the warehouse’s standard method of organizing and storing products.
KEBS has not yet issued a final report on the safety of the rice, and investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the contamination and identify any potential health risks to consumers.
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