Thanks and Hi Mark, George, Washington and Muthoni:
I replied to Muthoni separately and offlist. That we are discussing "formalin in milk" on a respected ICT mailing list confirms some of our inherent fears but we will not get there. Yes, it is within our broad (policy) mandate. But as I am sure most listers refer ICT issues to the regulator (CCK) first and/or seek his opinion, and considering our capacity challenge (not funded by taxpayer), it will also be only fair that people who complain about our services first check with regulators (Kenya Dairy Board in this case) before they refer matters to us.
Again, reporting an alarmist issue with no iota of evidence - and asking us to "investigate" - from the unknown to the known - can only go as far as referring to the competent bodies. Why? We have no laboratory of
our own and no surplus funds to start sampling all milk for formalin - as the complainant in this case never even pointed us to the geographical area or company that could have been importing contaminated milk. Nonetheless our Consumer Dialogue Forum 4 on September 12 at Intercontinental on food additives raised this issue. The Chief Public Health Officer Dr Ombacho who was present discounted the fears. If you were in our shoes, just how far could you go?
At Cofek, we receive all manners of complaints as complex as the National Surveillance Communication Command and Control Sytems tender http://www.cofek.co.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1344%3Afears-on-national-surveillance-communication-command-and-control-systems-tender&catid=1%3Alatest-news&Itemid=60 ) or the African Gas & Oil Ltd LPG facility plant (
http://www.cofek.co.ke/Agol%20Liquefied%20Petroleum%20Gas%20Project.pdf ) or aspartame (sweetener in sugar-free drinks) to easier ones such as visible impurities in drinks and food.
We will continue appreciating the genuine bashing but we request listers to be fair to our cause. Perhaps, it might help if listers appreciated that some of the comments they make here are not immune to legal action against them as individuals. And perhaps, the listing may need to consider some form of moderation of some of the messages which the PS for Information and Communications would be tempted to classify as "hate speech"
Good evening ...
Stephen Mutoro
www.cofek.co.ke
From: Mark Mwangi <mwangy@gmail.com>
To: smutoro@yahoo.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 5:50 PM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] COFEK: Formalin in Milk
"As such, our work emphasizes the need for a conducive environment to allow for competitive trade and business. We strongly believe that what is good for the consumer is good for business. We fight monopolies and price control tendencies. We fight counterfeits and unfair business practices. We sound alerts on market recalls. All in all, we yearn to see the 100% restoration of consumer pride and confidence in Kenya!"
I got the above from the COFEK website under the who we are page. The issue raised here is well within the mandate of the privately run organization as the self appointed guardian of the consumer.
That there was no reply to Dorcas on whether the issue concerning the formalin is something they can deal with points to a preferential treatment of affairs that should be worrying.
Is COFEK only after big fish/big money operations? Or is it maximum exposure scenarios?
Claiming to be a consumer oriented organization should mean you are accountable to them no?
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