Mbadi authorises importation of 500,000 metric tonnes of white rice
He says the imports shall be in accordance with international and Kenyan standards on food/rice and shall also be accompanied by a Certificate of Conformity issued by the Kenya Bureau of Standards
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has directed the importation of 500,000 metric tonnes of Grade I milled white rice into the country duty free on or before December 31 this year.
In a Kenya Gazette notice, Mbadi said each consignment of the imported Grade 1 milled white rice shall be in accordance with international and Kenyan standards on food/rice and shall also be accompanied by a Certificate of Conformity issued by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
The CS said the move, which was taken upon recommendation by Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, was made pursuant to section 114 (2) of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004, as read with item 20 of Part B of the Fifth Schedule to the Act.
In May last year, then National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof Njuguna Ndung’u allowed importation of a similar amount of Grade 1 milled white rice into the country due to shortage of rice in the country and the need to have an alternative source of starch.
While he gave a window of up to November 30 last year, Ndung’u revealed that 34,614.5 which had arrived at the Port of Mombasa after its importation was authorised by then Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi but delayed due to logistical challenges and was being processed.
