Lugari residents have raised concerns over the move by the government to destroy 26,000 bags of maize stored at the Lugari NCPB depot over allegations of being contaminated with aflatoxin.
Speaking to West Media, the residents played off allegations that the entire 26,000 bags were contaminated and strongly objected to the proposal to ferry the maize to Nakuru where it is supposed to be destroyed alleging there are plans by top government officials to benefit from the maize by diverting it back to the market.
They argued that if indeed the 26,000 bags were condemned then it should be destroyed in their presence but not to be ferried to Nakuru. They wondered why the government was incurring extra expenses on something that was not useful to citizens.
“The maize was condemned in 2018 but since then the government has been fumigating to preserve it. Does it mean they have been preserving poison and they now want to spend more public funds to transport it to Nakuru?” posed a resident.
They said the results were faked to benefit some government officials and that is why they are insisting on taking it to Nakuru. “The government should stop fooling us, we are the ones who supplied the maize to NCPB and we remained with some which we ate and it didn’t affect us,” they said.
A reliable source has disclosed to West Media that only 20 bags out of the 26,000 tested at the NCPB were found to be contaminated and were isolated from the rest.
Another source revealed that after the maize had been condemned after being tested at the national laboratory, there was a government official who secretly visited the depot, took samples of the allegedly condemned maize and took it to the same laboratory as a private farmer where it was declared fit for consumption.
Famers from the area have expressed their worry saying the ill move by the government will impact negatively on Lugari depot as it will be barred from buying their maize and even selling the same to processors.
Speaking to West Media through phone, the State Corporate Communication officer Mr. Titus Maiyo said following comprehensive quality tests done by a multi-agecy comprising of KEBS, KALRO, KEPHIS public health and NCPB between October 2018 to December 2018 a total of 69, 296 bags of 90Kg capacity out of 3.9 million which were being held in NCPB’s stores were found to be contaminated with afltoxin.
He said the contaminated maize was declared unfit for both human and animal consumption and was immediately isolated, seized and kept under lock and key in various depots including the Lugari NCPB awaiting instructions from the government on its destruction through incineration.
He said the contaminated maize was currently being taken out from the various stores under close supervision of public health and ministry of interior for destruction at national cement factories in Nakuru, Athiriver and Emali.
He said the purpose of incinerating the maize is to ensure the poison is completely destroyed. “We are not going to sell the maize, we are going to burn it, it will be mixed with chemicals and used as fuel at the cement factories” said Maiyo.
