CS Kagwe orders destruction of over 20,000 expired bags of fertiliser

Agriculture and Livestock CS Mutahi Kagwe at Parliament on February 21, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has ordered the immediate destruction of 27,518 bags of expired fertiliser in various National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots across the country.

This is part of the 34,100 bags that the government purchased in late December for planting season early this year.

Two and a half months later, it emerged that the consignment was not fit for farming.

 “The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is to supervise the safe destruction of this consignment of Sulphate of Ammonia 21 percent fertilizer that was delivered to NCPB by FineTech Edge Ltd,” he said.

“Per standard operating procedures, the unsold fertiliser would not be released to the market and would be safely destroyed.”

This now raises the lid on the procurement of farm produce in the country, with farmers wondering if the government bought fake fertiliser.

The CS noted that although the samples from the fertiliser were submitted to the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) for testing, the results indicated that the fertiliser complied with the requirement.

However, on delivery, the government realised the fertiliser was expiring by the end of February this year, which forced the discontinuation of distribution.

“The supplier was notified of the same and requested to deliver fertilizer with a longer shelf life, as the entire consignment was unlikely to be sold by the end of February,” Kagwe said.

KEBS seized the fertilizer on March 4, 2025, and has stopped any movement of the same until safe destruction, assuring that the government will not incur any loss.

“As the supply of the fertiliser is on a consignment basis, and the ownership of vests with the supplier until sold, this means that FineTech Edge Ltd will bear the costs, and loss,” he said.

This is not the first time the government has acted on substandard fertiliser. Early last year, it suspended distribution of subsidised fertiliser after outcry from the public over quality concerns.

A National Development Implementation Committee (NDIC) meeting chaired by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi approved the suspension to pave the way for investigations.

"The NDCI expressed concern regarding the public outcry about the fertilizer currently being distributed to farmers, given the significance of Agriculture as one of the key pillars of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA)," said Mudavadi.

"As a precautionary measure, NCPB has been directed to suspend the further distribution of fertilizer until the investigation is concluded and a report is provided."

Last month, Kagwe called on lawmakers to introduce stringent penalties targeting those involved in agricultural fraud. Speaking before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture, the CS said no fines should be imposed as an alternative punishment.

"We cannot allow unscrupulous dealers to undermine our farmers and jeopardise our agricultural future," he added.

The Agriculture CS noted that food security is a matter of national security, warning severe punishment on those compromising the quality.

He warned that fake agricultural inputs have long-term effects on food production. "When you give fake seeds and a farmer has to wait for eight or nine months to realise they are going nowhere, then a family that intended to feed itself on those seeds becomes dilapidated," explained Kagwe.