Kenya-Uganda: Traders sell food mixed with soil and sand


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Kenyans living in the Uganda-Kenya border towns of Malaba and Busia have appealled to the Uganda government to arrest and deal with traders who have been mixing the food they sell to them with soil and sand. Kenyan traders who have unknowingly bought the contaminated food from Ugandan traders and resold them to their fellow citizens have been attacked by angry customers.

According to the chairman of Kenyan food dealers at the Malaba border town in Kenya, George Oundo, Some Ugandans dealing in food have in recent times been selling Kenyans adulterated food, which puts the consumers’ lives at a risk.

Oundo said, “The practice of mixing soil in millet flour and sand in maize flour by Ugandan traders is causing us a lot of problems. The consumers in Kenya think we are the ones doing the mixing because they buy directly from us.”

He said that some of his colleagues have been beaten up by people who buy the millet and maize flour only to discover that the food product is mixed with soil and sand. He said they have reported to the Ugandan police about it.

The chairman of Ugandan traders in Busia border town, Martin Wavamuno said, “It is unfortunate that some unscruplous Ugandan traders are adding soil in millet flour and sand in maize flour which they sell to Kenyans. We are fighting the vice. We have instructed the police to check all the food brought to Busia and Malaba border points meant for selling to Kenyans.”

He warned Ugandan traders against the habit.

The officer in charge of Malaba police, Charles Otieno, said that so far four Ugandan traders who have been selling food mixed with soil and sand have been arrested.

Kenyans living close to the Uganda-Kenya border towns of Busia and Malaba depend mostly on food from Uganda. Uganda also exports food to southern Sudan.

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