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A multi-agency sting operation team led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Saturday recovered 16 tonnes of illegally imported powder milk in the Eastleigh area, Nairobi.
The seized product is claimed to have originated in Uganda, however it is not clear when it arrived in Kenya.
The team comprising officers from Kenya Dairy Board, police and Kenya Revenue Authority broke into the godown where the product was being repackaged.
The team found workers rebranding the powdered milk in locally configured packets, witnesses said.
The staff were detained and grilled on the spot, as the police sought information on the warehouse and its ownership.
Officials said the traders lacked supporting documents to back their imports.
Information labelled on the rebranded packages was also said to be misleading.
“It is also possible that they rebranded the milk to set up some brands. We are investigating,” said an official.
The officials handling the issue said they were yet to ascertain the ingredients used to repackage the milk.
The officials ferried the consignment from Eastleigh to a government facility along Mombasa Road, to conduct further analysis.
Preliminary investigations showed that the milk was not labeled and described as required by Kenyan laws.
The milk also lacked the certification of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). Officers from the Kenya Dairy Board explained they had commenced probe on if the milk was fit for human consumption or if it posed a health risk.
The investigation agencies, however, did not state whether the product had reached the market.
Investigations into the discovery are ongoing, officials said.
Kenya has banned the importation of powdered milk from other countries.
This has led to job losses in the affected countries, documents show.
Kenya argues the aim is to protect local dairy industry but others think it is aimed at punishing some players. BY THE STAR