Police in Kapenguria on Tuesday seized 22 trucks that are believed to have been ferrying ‘unsafe’ maize into Kenya from Uganda, leading to protests from maize traders. One truck driver was also arrested in the process.

This action follows directives by the Agriculture and Food Authority issued on March 5, 2021 that banned importation of maize from Uganda and Tanzania.

The traders caused a stir while accusing police officers of impounding the trucks which they claimed were ferrying maize from West Pokot County and not Uganda.

The claims were however rubbished by the County Security team led by West Pokot County commissioner Apollo Okello who warned unscrupulous businessmen from sneaking in maize through non-gazetted border points.

The administrator said surveillance has been heightened across all border points warning that those found contravening the government’s directive will be arrested and charged in a Kenyan court of law.

He reminded the traders interested in importation of maize from the neighboring country to use the one-stop border point at Suam.

“The government has not established a border post at Kacheliba to check the commodities. We have put in place measures and we shall ensure that nothing passed through the Asilong panya route. People should not engage in illegal business,” he said.

He went ahead to warn government officers against colluding with traders in Kacheliba to import maize from Uganda.

“Any Police officer colluding with will be dealt with. We will not allow even a single sack of maize to enter the country through Kacheliba. Every commodity including beer should pass through the designated border point of Suam and those buying goods from Kenya should also ensure that they are safe,” he said.

Chairman of the traders Philip Achekichek, on his part, accused the government for presiding over economic sabotage and demanded that their impounded maize be handed back to them since the maize was not sourced from Uganda as alleged.

“How do you claim the maize is from Uganda which is 170 kilometers away from here? The truth is that the maize is from west Pokot County and we are demanding an end to this harassment’’, Philip said.

They accused millers for colluding with the security team to coarse farmers to buy maize from them.

“Farmers will not buy into this kind of untold frustration to bow to demands of millers who are colluding with security officers to stop our business. We generate a lot of revenue through our maize that is grown and harvested in Siyoi, Seker, Sook and Trans Nzoia where we have farms’’, he asserted.

He also accused security officers for ambushing their normal maize stores where they have been doing business for long.

“Claims by the county security team that Pokot land is only meant for goats and cows and not maize is part of the economic sabotage we are opposing. What does the government want Pokots to do?”, the farmers said.

The traders are now calling upon the government to give them relief food to avoid starvation.