Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) Managing Director Charles Ongwae and other officials have been arrested over poisonous sugar.

Ongwae and his team were arrested hours after they told parliament that the tests carried out on contraband sugar did not have mercury as claimed by Interior CS Fred Matiang'i.

They have since been taken to Nairobi area DCI offices for interrogation.

On Thursday, Ongwae told a parliamentary committee that the tests conducted by Kebs had showed no traces of mercury but established abnormally high levels of lead and copper.

The claims of mercury have split two ministries with Industrialization CS Adan Mohammed challenging Matiang'i to substantiate the claims of sugar having mercury.

Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti has sided with the Interior CS, anc asked Kenyans to dismiss the statement made by Mohammed.