KEBS MD Charles Ongwae to be Charged with Attempted Murder in Contraband Goods Scandal

Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Managing Director Charles Ongwae is set to be charged with several offences including attempted murder, over the importation of contraband goods into the country.

Ongwae was arrested alongside ten other KEBS officials on Friday in connection to the illegal goods scandal and were taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations 
(DCI) for interrogation. They will be paraded in court on Monday.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji said investigations had established that the KEBS officials were complicit in the importation of sub-standard fertilizer, sugar and fake import standardization mark (ISM) stickers.

Haji said a company by the name OCP Kenya Ltd imported 5.8 million kilograms of compound fertilizer from Morocco, which were found to be substandard and declared as rejected after tests.

“The company appealed against the first testing, whereupon a re-testing was done by KEBS. The compound fertilizer failed to meet the standard yet again."

“That notwithstanding, the fertilizer was released into the market as opposed to destruction or re-shipping to the country of origin,” said Haji in a press statement.

Other KEBS officials arrested include; Eric Chesire Kiptoo (Director, Quality Assurance), Peter Kinyanjui (Inspection Manager, Kilindini Port), Martin Muswanya Nyakiamo (Coast Region Manager, KEBS) and Pole Mwangeni (Port Health Officer Kilindini).

Haji said the officials will be charged with attempted murder, aiding the commission of a felony, abuse of office, breach of trust and selling sub-standard goods.

The DPP further noted that KEBS procured standardization marks that were of poor quality and easy to forge.

“The mark supplied has been found to be prone to photocopying, scanning and misuse by unscrupulous traders thereby defeating the purpose of its procurement,” said Haji.

“Upon review of the files, we have established that there is Criminal Culpability on the part of KEBS officials entrusted with the mandate of monitoring and control of standards,” added Haji.