7,000 bags of fertiliser looted from NCPB's Maua depot during June 25 protests - Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe
In a statement, Kagwe said the depot was attacked and vandalised when peaceful demonstrations were hijacked by criminals in Maua, Meru County, on Wednesday, June 25.
Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe has called on the police to probe an alleged looting of over 7,000 bags of fertiliser from the National Cereals and Produce Board's Maua depot.
In a statement, Kagwe said the depot was attacked and vandalised when peaceful demonstrations were hijacked by criminals in Maua, Meru County, on Wednesday, June 25.
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"The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development unequivocally condemns the vandalism and looting of the NCPB depot in Maua, Meru County, on the 25th of June 2025. We must never confuse democratic rights with anarchy. Peaceful demonstrations are being hijacked by criminals. Those who rob, destroy, and loot critical public installations such as the NCPB are not demonstrators; they are criminals and anarchists, and they must be treated as such," he said.
Kagwe termed the attack on the depot as not just a property crime, but a direct assault on the country's food security.
"Fertiliser was looted, fertiliser meant to sustain farmers through this planting season. This reckless act jeopardises the ability of our farmers to grow food, feed their families, and support the national economy," he said.
The ministry's preliminary assessments show that over 7,354 bags of fertiliser, each weighing 50kg and valued at over sh29.5 million, were looted from the depot.
"This fertiliser is a vital input for farmers across the region. Its loss threatens to trigger a catastrophic crisis for both food crop and cash crop production. We therefore urge the National Police Service to act with urgency in apprehending those involved in the looting and vandalism, recover the stolen fertiliser and prosecute per the law," added the CS.
He further called on Kenyans to protect the country's democracy by ensuring it never deteriorates to anarchy, noting that such actions undermine the legitimacy of peaceful protest and are an abuse of the democratic space.
"Just as brutality and loss of life are unacceptable, so too is the wanton destruction of public property and theft of critical agricultural inputs," he said.
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