Tanzania denies involvement in Kenya’s fake fertiliser scandal

Tanzania Minister for Agriculture Hussein Mohamed Bashe dismissed claims linking his country to the export of counterfeit commodities, including fertiliser, to Kenya.

In a statement on his official X handle on Friday, the Minister emphasised Tanzania's commitment to integrity in trade dealings and dissociated the country from any scandals involving counterfeit goods.

"Tanzania is not connected to any fake fertiliser scandal, so please do not associate us with the popular hustler culture," Bashe explained after reports circulating online claimed Kenya procured the counterfeit products from Tanzania. 

"We are well aware of the exact nature of the goods our two companies have exported through official channels," Bashe added. 

Emphasising Tanzania's adherence to ethical trade practices, the minister urged Kenya to address its issues without shortcuts and questionable practices.

"Please address your own issues without shortcuts and questionable practices, as our trade policies are governed by principles rooted in integrity," Boshe countered. 

"If there is a mess, I recommend you clean it up. Do not implicate Tanzania. It is not our way," concluded the minister.

The current controversy surrounding the fake fertiliser scandal has sparked turmoil within the Ministry of Agriculture, leading to calls for the resignation of Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi addresses the public during a tour of the Nakuru County depot of the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) on March 26, 2024. (Photo: Agriculture ministry)

Bumula Member of Parliament, Jack Wamboka, said on Thursday that he had garnered 110 signatures from fellow MPs in support of a motion of impeachment against Linturi.

The legislator wants the CS kicked out of office for gross misconduct, serious breach of public trust, mismanagement of resources, and gross violation of various provisions of the constitution by approving the procurement and distribution of fake fertiliser by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).

Wamboka also called for Linturi to be sacked for signing an agency agreement with 51 Capital and Africa Diatomite Industries on March 31, 2023, for the supply and distribution of GPC diatomaceous, whose product was not sold as chemical fertiliser but as a soil conditioner.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) further urged Parliament to remove the CS from office due to alleged misconduct, constitutional violations, and incompetence.

LSK President Faith Odhiambo stated in a press release this week that the organisation intends to take legal action against the Ministry, CS Linturi, and other state agencies such as the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

The lawyers, moreover, plan to seek compensation for damages suffered by farmers affected by the fertiliser scandal.

"We will petition Parliament to immediately remove Linturi from office as Cabinet Secretary, as stipulated in Article 152(6) of the Constitution. Additionally, we will pursue a class action lawsuit on behalf of the farmers to seek compensation from the Ministry and the CS," Odhiambo said.