Eight people have been arrested after more than 4,000 bags of government-subsidised fertiliser worth Sh16 million went missing.
The 4,480 bags had been dispatched from the Kenya National Trade Corporation warehouse in Mombasa and were destined for the bread-basket regions of Western and North Rift.
The subsidised NPK fertiliser sells at Sh3,500, the Yara variety at Sh4,050 while DAP and other brands are retailing at Sh5,600 per 50kg bag.
Detectives from DCI headquarters picked the suspects from Mombasa for grilling and arraignment in Nairobi. Most of them are transporters.
The move followed KNTC officials claim that eight lorries each carrying 560 bags of 50kg fertiliser had vanished with the cargo.
The managers said they had dispatched 10 lorries between April 28 and May 25 but realised the eight were missing. This prompted police action.
No recovery has been made so far but police are pursuing more suspects for possible recovery, DCI boss Mohamed Amin said.
“We have established one transport company that has been affected by this theft and we are looking for more suspects and we hope to recover the cargo,” Amin said.
The suspects were brought to Nairobi ahead of arraignment on Monday, May 29.
KNTC which is the procuring entity is supposed to dispatch the cargo to the National Cereals and Produce Board depots and farmer cooperatives.
The cargo had been imported. The government is targeting to distribute 300,000 metric tons or six million bags of 50kgs of planting fertiliser.
The fertiliser subsidy programmes is a multi-agency exercise led by the Ministry of Agriculture and supported by NCPB, KNTC, the Presidency, Kenya Railways, security agencies and respective county governments.
The subsidised fertiliser programme is aimed at bringing down the cost of fertiliser which had increased significantly to Sh6,500 per 50 Kg bag.
