A total of 39 lorries have been sneaking maize into the country from Uganda despite the ban.
The Ministry of Agriculture said on Tuesday that in spite of the directive from the government on the stoppage of maize transfers from EAC partner countries, unscrupulous businessmen have tried to sneak in maize through the non-gazetted border points.
The law enforcement agencies seized 39 lorries, out of which 25 are being held at Busia police station while 14 are at Adungosi.
Following the move, the ministry has said that it has heightened surveillance along all the border points in collaboration with the Food Authority.
A warning has also been issued against the culprits contravening the government directive, with traders found culpable to be arrested and charged before the court.
The ministry has said that a surplus of 11,807,681 90kg bags is expected to last to the end of May 2021, with the price of maize expected to remain stable.
But to facilitate safe trade of maize and other related food commodities across EAC, the government has commenced registration of all dealers of food crops including the transporters, importers, and processors.
All stakeholders are advised to log on to www.afa.imis.go.ke for requirements for registration and the applicants will be vetted and approval granted through issuance of a Registration Certificate.
The government stopped maize importation from Uganda and Tanzania in March citing safety concerns.
It said that the maize from the two countries has revealed high levels of mycotoxins "that are consistently beyond safety limits of 10 parts be billion (ppb)."
Mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxins and fumonisins are known to be carcinogenic.
Millers in Kenya have shied away from buying imported maize from neigbouring countries due to high levels of aflatoxin.