Uganda Send Protest Note to Kenya Over Maize Ban
Government has protested the ban imposed on Ugandan maize by Kenya that has left tonnes of grain stuck at the border, and traders staring at losses.
Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Amelia Kyambadde told journalists in Kampala yesterday that they are to issue a protest note, on grounds that the ban is being implemented on what she termed as rumours, with no scientific explanations to back up their claims.
The Kenyan government, through the department of the Agriculture and Food Authority banned the importation of maize from Uganda and Tanzania, saying the cereal had aflatoxins.
But according to the minister, neither her ministry nor that of East Africa Community (EAC) Affairs received official communication from Kenya regarding the ban.
Government wants Kenya to also produce evidence, including laboratory reports conducted by a certified body to back up claims that the maize does not conform to the EAC standards on aflatoxins.
“The protest note is to complain about the mode of interception or imposition of the ban. They should have given official communication, all these are allegations. We are grappling with all this but we do not know the facts. The ban and interception of vehicles was not subjected to any testing and some of them had already gone as far as Nakuru and they just blocked them and sent them back, without testing,” Ms Kyambadde said.
by Citizen.
