A multi-agency sting operation team led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) recovered 16 tonnes of illegally imported powder milk in the Eastleigh area, Nairobi.
Kenya has banned imports of powdered milk from Uganda. The seized product is also said to have originated Uganda. It is however 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.
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The staff were apprehended 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.
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Police 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 labelled and described as required by Kenyan laws.
The milk also lacked the certification of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
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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 clarify whether the product had reached the market.
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