Fake fertiliser scandal: Senators to grill CSs Linturi, Miano and KEBS officials

The Senate has summoned cabinet secretaries Mithika Linturi (Agriculture) and Rebecca Miano (Trade), and officials of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) over the fake fertiliser scandal that has seen farmers across the country lose money.

They will face the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Committee, chaired by Kirinyaga Senator James Kamau Murango, with Miano explaining how the substandard fertiliser passed its quality test, as the KEBS falls under her docket.

Speaking in Kirinyaga on Friday evening, Murango said in Swahili, "Tumeita waziri wa kilimo, waziri wa viwanda Rebecca Miano na KEBS, ambao wanashughulikia ubora wa bidhaa, tujue ni vipi mbolea gusi ilifikia wakulima."

This loosely translates to, "We have summoned the agriculture minister, the trade minister, and KEBS, who are concerned with product quality, to understand how the substandard fertiliser reached farmers."

He also announced that the committee would begin nationwide investigations by reaching out to affected farmers, whom he asked not to dispose of the product as it would be crucial to investigations.

"Musitupe mbolea ambayo mlipewa an msifute jumbe fupi mlizotumiwa kwa sababu tutahitaji ushahidi wakati tunafanya uchunguzi. Tunataka tujue kama kuna wakora ambao walihusika katika serikali. Tunataka tujue ni vipi mbolea gusi ilifika katika halmashauri ya nafaka."

In English, this translates to, "Do not throw away the fertiliser you were given and do not delete the messages you were sent, as we will need evidence during the probe. We want to know if there are criminals within the government. We want to know how the substandard fertiliser got to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB)."

As the poor-quality fertiliser was confiscated in various parts of the country a few days ago, Linturi refuted claims that the state issued it and asked farmers not to believe hearsay around the issue, alleging a plot to negatively portray President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza government.

Speaking in Kuresoi, Nakuru County, on Tuesday, the CS asserted that government fertiliser is scientifically tested and approved before being circulated to Kenyan farmers.

"Fertiliser ya serikali tunayopeana ni fertiliser imekaguliwa na test results zote na analysis tuko nazo. Hii fertiliser imeangaliwa na ikakaguliwa na tukaona ni fertiliser sawa (The fertiliser we are distributing has been tested and we have the reports). After the tests, we concluded that the fertiliser was of good quality)," he said.

He noted that the government is committed to protecting farmers.

On Thursday, a parliamentary committee directed Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu to carry out a special audit of the circumstances surrounding the sale of fake fertiliser.

MPs told Gathungu to probe the systems where fertiliser and all other consumable goods are concerned to identify and seal any systemic loopholes.

The Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy, chaired by Pokot South MP David Pkosing, said the audit should establish why the NCPB, a government entity, was distributing the questionable fertiliser.

"We need to know the batching mechanism by the KEBS to ascertain whether these people are passive," Pkosing said, noting the verification process should be comprehensive.

Opposition leaders, meanwhile, asked Linturi and officials in the Ministry of Agriculture to resign.