Maize imports from the East African Community(EAC) member countries will have to meet stringent sanitary standards before entering the Kenyan market.
“Contrary to reports that Kenya had banned all maize imports from the EAC, Kenya asked the regional block’s trading partners to pass sanitary and phytosanitary standards on farm produce to access its market”, said Peter Munya, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-operatives.
According to official Ministry of Agriculture’s data, Kenya imported an estimated 277,350 tons of maize or 3.1 million 90kg bags last year. A large bulk of these imports of 95% came from Uganda and Tanzania.
This year, it was estimated that Kenya will import a similar amount to ensure it is food secure.
While clarifying that Kenya has not banned maize imports from Uganda, CS Munya said Kenya is trying to ensure consumer safety in a statement on the Ministry’s website.
Ugandan parliamentarians threatened to retaliate by banning poultry, fertilizer, seeds, Irish potatoes, Ahero rice and Mangoes from Kenya. This stand may have forced Kenya to rescind its decision. Uganda MPs argued that Kenya’s ban was more to do with protecting its market that ensuring consumer safety.
Kenya blocks maize imports from EAC
On March 5, Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority(AFA) blocked maize imports citing tests on the grain from Uganda and Tanzania that revealed mycotoxins’ levels beyond safety limits.
Burundi had also announced a similar ban after its health ministry found high levels of toxic carcinogens in imported maize.
According to Kenya’s Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Angolo, Kenya expects its EAC trading partners to trade safe maize as per the regional blocks’ standards.
New rules for maize importers
According to the Kenyan Agriculture Ministry, all maize importers and exporters shall require registration accompanied by certificates indicating that aflatoxins’ level does not exceed 10%.
Furthermore, traders importing maize from Uganda into Kenya will have to present a certificate of origin from the production countries before getting clearance at the border points.
The ban’s lifting raises the hope that Uganda can return to being Kenya’s major supplier of maize.
Available data shows that Ugandan maize exports to Kenya rose five-fold in January 2021, rising by 418% to 523,000 bags from 101,000 in January 2020.
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