A cement firm in Mombasa on Monday helped destroy 73 tonnes of contaminated cereals from Mukumu Girls.
Bamburi Cement partnered with the government to dispose of assorted cereals that included 446 bags of maize, 284 bags of beans, and 86 bags of rice.
The grains were destroyed following a court order and at the request of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration for professional incineration.
Last month, three students and a teacher died after they complained of vomiting, diarrhoea and dizziness.
Post-mortem results from one of the victims revealed that she died of multiple organ failure caused by bacterial infection. This is suspected to have been as a result of food and water poisoning.
The cement manufacturing firm was tasked with destroying the poisonous cereal after it was endorsed by government agencies as the fastest and most secure choice, capable of destroying the condemned cargo within 48 hours compared to roughly two months for other options within the Western region.
The decision was made after considering the duration the process would have taken in other regions. Bamburi was declared the best option for disposal of the contaminated cereals.
"We are honoured to have been a part of a solution that succeeded in eliminating the threats posed to fellow Kenyans by minimising waste and converting it into energy.
"Bamburi Cement aspires to continue leading the way in reducing fuel and process emissions by moving away from fossil fuels towards a clean, circular economy for government and commercial enterprises," said Jane Wangari, the Bamburi Cement geocycle director.
The incineration procedure will provide biomass that the company will use as fuel, thus lowering the cost of fuel consumption in line with the company's sustainability pillar, Circular Economy, which focuses on converting waste into energy. This also minimises CO2 emissions.
CO2 emissions
Bamburi Cement, in collaboration with the public and international development sectors, has been at the forefront in addressing environmental and CO2 emissions reduction challenges for the last ten years. This, through the available infrastructure.
It has previously worked with major multi-agency teams such as the United Nations World Food Programme, Kenya Ports Authority, the Kenya Bureau of Standards, and the Kenya Revenue Authority to dispose of over 5,000 tons of poisoned grains and counterfeit products imported into the country at its Mombasa Plant.
The exercise at the Mombasa Plant was witnessed by representatives from the Ministry of Interior and National Government Coordination, the Ministry of Health, the National Environment Management Authority, the County Government of Kakamega, school heads, parents and other stakeholders.
