The high court on Thursday temporarily stopped the importation of duty-free sugar in the country.
Justice Chacha Mwita suspended the Gazette notice issued by the Treasury CS Henry Rotich dated September 29 allowing the importation of duty-free sugar.
Justice Mwita further prohibited the CS or any other person from proceeding to give effect to the said Gazette Notice pending hearing and determination of the case.
In the case, activist Okiya Omtatah moved to court challenging a gazette notice issued on October 4 allowing the importation of duty-free sugar.
Omtatah argues that the waiver on duty charged on imported sugar has exposed the local sugar industry.
He further says that the application seeks to protect the public from the oppressive and unreasonable punishment prescribed under the impugned statutory instrument.
“The waiver is arbitrarily imposed without public participation involving all stakeholders, including the affected local sugar industry,” Omtatah argues.
The activist further says that if the importation of the duty-free sugar is allowed, it will complicate matters for the hundreds of thousands of sugarcane farmers and workers in sugar factories across the country.
