Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe/FILEAgriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has condemned the looting and vandalism of the National Cereals and Produce Board depot in Maua, Meru county, during unrest on June 25.
In a statement, Kagwe disclosed that over 7,354 bags of fertiliser, each weighing 50kg and valued at more than Sh29.5 million, were stolen during the incident.
He described the act as a direct assault on Kenya's food security.
"This reckless act jeopardises the ability of our farmers to grow food, feed their families, and support the national economy," said Kagwe.
The stolen fertiliser, he noted, was intended for farmers this planting season adding such could trigger a crisis in both food and cash crop production.
"Those who rob, destroy, and loot public installations like the NCPB are not demonstrators, they are criminals and anarchists and they must be treated as such," he said.
"We must never confuse democratic rights with anarchy. Peaceful demonstrations are being hijacked by criminals."
Calling on the security officers to swiftly apprehend those responsible, the CS urged that the stolen inputs be recovered and the culprits prosecuted.
He stressed that while democratic rights must be upheld, they must never be abused to justify lawlessness.
The CS warned that such actions erode the integrity of peaceful protest and threaten national stability.
"Just as brutality and loss of life are unacceptable, so too is the wanton destruction of public property and theft of critical agricultural inputs."
The June 25 protests which were called to commemorate last year's Gen Z-led anti-government protests saw widespread destruction, with looting, arson, and vandalism reported in major cities.
Government buildings, private businesses, and vehicles were targeted.
Several police stations and county offices were damaged, while property worth millions was destroyed amid violent confrontations between protesters and security forces.
Speaking at KICC on June 27, President Ruto condemned the protests as “economic sabotage” and vowed action against perpetrators.
“You cannot hide behind the constitution to destroy property… that is anarchy dressed in the colours of freedom.”
