Kenya backtracks on corn-import ban, seeks ratification of rules

The Kenyan government now says it didn’t ban corn imports from neighboring nations and has instead asked East African Community trading partners to pass sanitary and phytosanitary standards on farm produce so they can access its market, according to Agriculture Secretary Peter Munya.

“Kenya is trying to ensure consumer safety,” he said in a statement on ministry’s website.

On March 5, Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority blocked corn imports citing tests on the grain from Uganda and Tanzania that revealed levels of mycotoxins beyond safety limits. On Wednesday, Burundi announced a similar ban after its health ministry also found they contained high levels of the carcinogens.