Peter Munya cuts tough AFA from Tanzania maize clearance
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has stripped the sector regulator of powers to register maize at border points to ease clearance.
In removing the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) from the clearance chain, Mr Munya said the government would instead rely on the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) to ensure that the maize meets the required standards.
“From now on, AFA will not register maize already registered by Kephis. We all encourage random sampling when the trucks belonging to the same importation company,” said Mr Munya last Friday when he toured the Namanga border crossing.
The move follows last week’s order by President Uhuru Kenyatta to Mr Munya to ensure speedy clearance of grain from Tanzania during a two-day state visit by his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu.
Suffer losses
It came after AFA imposed tough conditions for importation of the grain from Tanzania and Uganda citing high levels of aflatoxin- a cancer-causing toxin. Early last month Mr Munya had reported none of the traders had met the conditions.
Mr Kenyatta said normal trade relations on grain should resume to ensure that business people do not suffer losses caused by the restrictions put in place two months ago.
“On the maize that is stuck at the border I have given you (CS Agriculture) two weeks to ensure that the stock is cleared,” said President Kenyatta.
Despite Mr Kenyatta’s directive, AFA last Thursday reiterated the tough guidelines on importation of maize. Mr Munya said that the government was committed to ensuring seamless bilateral trade.
His Tanzanian counterpart skipped the meeting that was expected to iron out administrative barriers between the two countries.
The CS also urged Customs officials to facilitate timely cargo clearance to avoid unnecessary delay.
"All government employees in the border point must avoid undue delay. We will not tolerate officers causing unnecessary barriers for self-gains.”
Besides easing cargo clearance, Mr Munya said that truck drivers will also no longer be tested for Covid-19 virus twice.
"Drivers will be tested once at the place of origin. They are only supposed to produce Covid-19 compliance certificates at border point. We do not want drivers to continue being held at the border for more than a day waiting for results," he added.
