A Nairobi court has released 14 suspects arrested in the alleged supply and disposal of counterfeit cement in the course of trade, contrary to Section 32(g) as read with Section 35(i) of the Anti-Counterfeit Act No. 13 of 2008.
The fourteen suspects include Patrick Munyasia Mbusya, Josephine Mwalimu Kanyiva, Joseph Kennedy Omanyala, Philip Ndegwa Owino, Jacob Iyadi Wambulw, Kennedy Wambua Kilonzo, Edwin Kiprotich Bett, Muema Kimuu Mwanzia, George Kiarie Kinyanjui, James Charles Mureithi, Christopher Kyalo Kilonzo, Mason Wekesa Muringamu, Felix Mawesa Katomo, and Simon Kaira Njoroge.
They were arraigned before Magistrate Dolphina Allego under a miscellaneous application for a 30-day detention pending the investigations into the alleged manufacture and supply of substandard cement, which has led to the collapse of many houses and the loss of lives in various parts of the country.
The prosecution informed the court that there have been numerous incidents of buildings collapsing during construction, directly attributed to poor-quality cement—a matter of grave public concern due to the lives lost during such incidents.#
According to the police, a multiagency team was formed to investigate the circulation of counterfeit cement and develop proposals to curb the menace.
The police informed the court that during these investigations, they discovered unscrupulous businessmen who, after purchasing cement from legitimate factories, adulterate it by interfering with bag weights before selling it.
Furthermore, the police found that in other instances, the suspects add an adulterant known as Pozzolanic dust in a bid to enhance the quantities and increase profits. However, this compromises the approved industry ratios and results in substandard quality in the cement sold to unsuspecting members of the public.
However, the court ruled that there were insufficient grounds to warrant the extra detention of the suspects and released them on a Ksh 500,000 bond with an alternative cash bail of Ksh 200,000.
