Firm shut down over seeds racket

By OSINDE OBARE

Trans-Nzoia County

The Trans-Nzoia West District security team has shut down a firm manufacturing fake maize seeds after one tonne of uncertified maize seeds were discovered being sold at a leading supermarket in Kitale.

Local District Commissioner Wilfred Kinyua said package materials, bogus logos and coating equipment were seized from a home in Endebess where bogus maize seeds were being processed and sold to unsuspecting farmers.

Kinyua said two suspects, including a Kitale tycoon licensed by Kenya Seed Company (KSC), are being investigated over the sale of uncertified maize seed.

He was addressing the Press after a crisis meeting between officials from KSC and Kenya Planters Health Inspectorate Service, after allegations that prime suspects in the sale of the fake seeds were being protected by Government officials.

Reports are ripe in the area that some Government officers have been compromised to protect unscrupulous businessmen.

Tycoon mentioned

The DC, however, said that nobody would be spared in the fake seeds racket, including a local tycoon adversely mentioned in the scam.

Kinyua said detectives led by Kitale Criminal Investigations Officer Paul Wachira raided the home and impounded equipment used to make and pack the fake seeds. The suspect, however, managed to escape.

Among the items recovered were eight kilos of red oxide, package materials, herbicides, fungicide, insecticide and a weighing machine.

"We are not going to rest until those involved in the manufacture of the fake seeds are punished and we assure farmers that security measures have been put in place to curb the problem," said the DC.

Acknowledging that the circulation of fake seeds is likely to sabotage production, the DC said some farmers had complained of poor germination. "It is true some farmers have complained to the district agriculture office over germination but the number is minimal," he admitted.

The DC convened the meeting after local farmers demanded that KSC deregisters businessmen found selling fake seeds.