Irony as Agriculture CS faces sack over fake fertiliser as country hosts Summit on farm input

On the day President William Ruto is closing the three-day Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit, his Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Mithika Linturi is facing a gruesome grilling on his role in the fake fertiliser distribution in the country.

The fertiliser meeting came at a time when the National Assembly Select Committee on the impeachment of Linturi ruled that they would allow any fresh evidence in the hearing of a case against him.

His impeachment motion relies on three main grounds. There are gross violations of the Constitution or any other law, serious reasons to believe the CS has committed a crime under national law, and gross misconduct.

On the third day of the event when several heads of state and delegates were at the summit, Linturi was facing the Marsabit Woman Representative Naomi Waqo's led-committee to defend himself on why he should not be shown the door.

While he was being grilled, Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale instead welcomed other heads of state and dignitaries to the event.

"The summit in Nairobi highlights our shared commitment to strengthening Africa's agricultural sector, crucial for our continent's economic growth and food security," said Duale.

Kenyans online shared their sentiments over the irony of the country's Agriculture ministry head missing the function and instead facing queries over his role in a scandal.

"What will you tell the delegates about the sand you sold to Kenyan farmers as subsidized fertiliser?" asked Muthui J on X.

An X platform user Nelson Kabando delved into the contents of the alleged fake fertiliser that has placed the CS into hot soup.

"I just hope the summit will not teach other Heads of State how to mix donkey poop and sand and sell it to farmers as subsidised fertiliser," he said.

Ruto on Thursday during the event implored African countries to combine forces in seeking ways of securing adequate, affordable, and sustainable fertiliser production and supply across Africa.

Ruto, in closing the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit, lamented how fluctuating fertiliser costs and supply chain disruptions, worsened by violence in producing regions, had forced countries on the continent to reconsider the manufacture of affordable fertilisers.

"Recent global economic crises, compounded by supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical dynamics, have worsened fertiliser affordability and availability, and disrupted agriculture, resulting in reduced acreage and lower yields," said Ruto.

Ruto explained that the Summit presents an opportunity to collectively deliberate and sustain our ambition by converting challenges into opportunities.

The embattled CS is accused of his alleged directive to Kel Chemicals, the company identified as the one which distributed the fake fertiliser, to read a statement authored by the National Cereals and Produce Board.

In the said statement, the authorities wanted Kel Chemicals to admit liability for the fake input. The firm refused.

Wamboka explained that it was at that point that the Agriculture CS decided to shut down Kel Chemicals and have its premises declared a crime scene.

Linturi however strongly opposed the decision to bring new evidence by the Bumula MP to fortify the case that is threatening his tenure at the helm of the Agriculture portfolio.

The CS asked the committee chaired by Marsabit Woman Representative Naomi Waqo to throw away any evidence or witnesses not relied upon when MPs voted to pass the motion on Thursday last week.

"We urge this committee to investigate the motion as approved by the House. This committee has no power to interrogate what was not before the House," Linturi's lead lawyer Muthomi Thiankolu said.

"There is zero room for introducing evidence that was not part of the evidence that was in the motion."

The summit began on Tuesday and was officially opened by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. They later held a ministerial session, with ministers from several African countries represented.

The summit was convened following a decision by the African Union Assembly in February this year. It is the second Summit after the first one that was held in Abuja, Nigeria in 2006.

Some of the leaders arrived on Wednesday, and more are expected to arrive on Thursday for the summit.

They include; Faustin-Archange Touadéra - President of the Central African Republic, Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera - President of the Republic of Malawi, Hakainde Hichilema - President of the Republic of Zambia, Emmerson Mnangagwa - President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Nangolo Mbumba - President of the Republic of Namibia and Gervais Ndirakobuca - Prime Minister of the Republic of Burundi.