Stones, goats and sheep waste packed as fertilizer recovered in Baringo

Police have seized several bags of fake fertilizer in a crackdown on the sale and supply of the product in Koibatek, Baringo County.

Detectives handling the matter said they realized some of the fertilizer in 34 bags had stones, fake granules, and sheep and goat wastes.

These included fur.

Some of the samples brought to the DCI offices at Koibatek had granules resembling cattle licking salt and black stones and others had goat or sheep fur, police said.

The officers in Eldàma Ravine on Friday, March 22 received reports from two members of the public from Poror Village of Poror/ Arama Location within Koibatek Sub County that on different dates in March 2024, each of them bought the subsidized fertilizer from National Cereals and Produce Board Depot at Eldama Ravine totalling 34 bags of NPK fertilizer.

The complainants said on opening the bags ready for planting, he realized it was not real fertilizer.

The Sub County Security committee inspected the bags brought and informed the management of NCPB Koibatek to recall all 2,650 bags already supplied to farmers so far.

Efforts to recall the bags were ongoing amid outcry some had already used the fake products.

Police are investigating the matter.

This comes at a time when farmers from various parts of the country are facing long queues at different depots in search of government-subsidized fertiliser, amidst reported shortages of the commodity in the region.

President William Ruto on Wednesday warned manufacturers and distributors of fake farm inputs saying those found culpable will face the 'music they deserve'.

He spoke amid a public outcry over alleged fake fertilisers and uncertified crop seeds being distributed in the market.

On Tuesday, detectives in Kakamega County impounded 700 bags of fertiliser that farmers said was insolvable as it was mixed with stones contrary to manufacture specifications.

Ruto on Wednesday said the country is experiencing fertiliser shortages but assured Kenyans that the government will ship more fertilisers for planting by April 10.

He attributed the shortage of fertilisers in the country to delayed shipment due to the logistical challenges affecting the Red Sea corridor.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has accused a Kenyan-based regional fertilizer merchant of fraud after it emerged the firm supplied substandard fertilizer to NCPB.

Documents tabled before the National Assembly Agriculture Committee by KEBS showed how the firm supplied substandard fertilizer for over a year undetected.

KEBS said the firm applied for certification on January 13 and secured approval on January 28, 2023.

KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari told MPs that initially, the company had complied with all requirements which prompted the agency to issue them permits to supply organic fertilizer but later committed fraud by violating the standards.

The standards agency certified the company to supply organic fertilizer but the firm supplied diatomite, which relies on a biologically generated form of Silica to enhance soil conditions, to NCPB stores.

“During our surveillance, we sampled the product that was being sold in agrovets and finally got intelligence that the product was being supplied through NCPB stores. Test reports showed the product failed on organic matter,” Ngari said.

For months, farmers unknowingly purchased the product bearing KEBS certification.

KEBS said it launched a probe following a tip-off from the public, seizing 5,840 bags in a surveillance raid.

Following the intelligence, NCPB sampled the product in over 59 ware stores across the country which led to the suspension of the product permits amid fears that the product may still be in circulation.

The agency said it had initiated legal proceedings against the supplier even as it remained unclear on the product quantity in the market.

“We have written to the Director of Public Prosecution so that we can be able to prosecute the matter under the standard act,” said Ngari.