Farmers told to be vigilant after fake seeds scandal

Farmers across the country have been urged to be extra vigilant during the planting season following the discovery of a counterfeit maize seeds consignment in Nakuru county.

The busting of the syndicate behind counterfeited maize seeds has saved thousands of farmers who would have bought the seeds passed across as genuine in the market.

Nakuru County Commissioner Loyfford Kibaara said the mastermind behind the scam identified as Stephen Kirungu Gicharu was nabbed in Njoro, Monday night.

“Mr Gicharu had registered his premises in Golf Estate as a timber business but instead was processing and packaging maize seeds for sale while not registered as a seed merchant,” said Kibaara.

Addressing the press at the Nakuru DCI headquarters, the administrator revealed that the suspect would have raked in over Sh13 million if his fake seeds made their way to the market.

“We found 101kg of treated seeds, a seed dressing machine and chemicals, 18 bags of untreated maize and 37,780 pieces of Kenya Seed packaging materials,” said Kibaara.

Packaged seeds

To further make the seeds as genuine H6213 seeds, the illicit trader was found in possession of 6,605 fake Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) certification stickers.

“The packaged seeds would have easily passed as genuine. However, the stickers are fake compared to the genuine ones which have a section where one scratches and verifies the seed details using the code beneath,” said Kibaara.

The commissioner explained that in total, if the suspect who operated Plytech Supplies would have made over Sh13 million shillings.