Will Linturi 'broker' his way out of mess?

Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi before the Select Committee on his Proposed Dismissal of the at the Mini Chambers in Nairobi on May 7, 2024. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has had an illustrious political career, serving as a Member of Parliament for three terms before assuming his current position in the Cabinet.

He was first elected as Igembe South MP in 2007 on a Kanu Party ticket after two consecutive failed attempts. He first contested for the seat in 1997 on a Safina Party ticket when he lost to Jackson Kalweo of Kanu, and in 2002 when he was floored by Raphael Muriungi of Narc.

In the 2013 General Election, Linturi defended his seat on the TNA Party associated with former President Uhuru Kenyatta. In 2017, he successfully contested for the Meru senatorial seat on a Jubilee Party ticket.

Linturi's tenure in elective politics came to a halt in 2022 when he lost the Meru governorship seat to Kawira Mwangaza. The fiercely contested battle also saw him competing against former Governor Kiraitu Murungi.

Linturi, a close ally of President William Ruto, was subsequently nominated to become Agriculture minister. He told the parliamentary vetting panel that he was worth Sh1.2 billion and that he grew up in the village in a family of eight children.

At the age of eight, he said, he was arrested by a chief while tending to his father's livestock in a nearby forest and taken to Amwamba Primary School in 1978. He later joined Igembe Boys Secondary School where he completed his studies in 1989.

He joined Meru Technical College to pursue a course in accounting (CPA) and later joined the Kenya Institute of Marketing for a diploma in marketing, and the College of Insurance where he obtained a certificate in insurance.

Linturi worked as an agent for many insurance firms until 1999 when he founded Arkchoice Insurance Brokers. It was while working at the firm that he developed an interest in politics and public service.

Yesterday, he was in the dock with an impeachment motion hanging over his head over the manner in which he handled a scandal surrounding substandard fertiliser.

Linturi came under fire last month when he denied the existence of fake fertilizer despite farmers from various parts of the country voicing their concerns which were captured in various medial platforms highlighting the losses they have incurred.

Appearing before the National Assembly's Agriculture Committee, Linturi said the only reported cases were of 3,000 bags of substandard fertiliser and the ministry was ready to compensate the affected farmers.

“I would like to inform this committee that the ministry is not involved in the distribution of fake fertilizer. I would request the investigation agencies to take action against those involved in the distribution of the soil conditioner that has raised eyebrows among farmers,” said Linturi.

Linturi told the committee chaired by Tigania West MP John Mutunga that he could not rule out maize importers in the multi-billion-shilling sector having a hand in the fake fertilizer scandal which has left the government with egg on its face.

The Cabinet secretary downplayed an expose done by Africa Uncensored CEO John-Allan Namu on fake fertilizer, saying the government suspended the distribution of the soil conditioner by SBL Innovate using the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots in March this year.

Mr Namu, who was the first witness to appear before the Senate Agriculture Committee last month, revealed that influential political leaders had reached out to him to try convince him not to air the exclusive story on fake fertilizer that brought the matter to the national limelight.

The journalist said that his organisation had been carrying out investigations on public procurement since 2018 and that "the fake fertiliser scandal cuts across the previous and the current regime and that action needs to be taken against those found culpable of wrongdoing".