Food safety is akin to national security, hence must be jealously guided with utmost stringent measures, as lives of citizens depend upon.

Hon. Mayen Deng Alier is right to urge the National Bureau of Standards to tighten its grip on goods’ safety.

As chairperson of specialized committee on Trade and Industry in national assembly, it is within your jurisdiction Hon. Mayen and members to exercise an oversight role to ensure the well-being of the citizens.

Matters of food safety come with skirmishes and squabbles with in several moments have engulfed East African Community member states.

Harmonization of food testing does not only prevent political rift during importation of the goods; however, it comes with a handful of benefits, which include knowledge sharing, empowerment and creating better understanding among the Standards Bureaus in the East African Community member states.

Of course, backlashes of delays in confirmatory tests are eliminated, enabling speedy movement of goods, preventing perishability and hash conditions.

A recent scenario of Maize and maize products that were discovered contaminated, where tests over delayed and almost caused bad blood with transporters, are testaments.