Police nab 140 bags of repackaged subsidised fertilisers in Keringet
By Elijah Cherutich, March 12, 2026Police officers, together with officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, have nabbed 140 bags of subsidised fertilisers being repackaged for sale to innocent farmers in Keringet, Kuresoi South.
The officers from the ministry received a tip-off of the fraudulent activities and led an ambush on the hardware of Intrested that was hoarding the fertiliser after acquiring from the NCPB stores in bulk.
Speaking at Keringet police station on Thursday, March 12, 2026, Kuresoi South Deputy County Commissioner Malak Namai said that the owner of the business was repackaging and selling to farmers at higher prices.
He said that despite receiving 600 bags of fertilisers at the Keringet NCPB depot last Monday, farmers expressed concern that they were unable to get the inputs.
“We have confiscated a total of 140 bags of the fertiliser, which includes 57 bags of NPK, 48 bags of TSP, 2 bags of urea, and 6 bags of CAN. All of them had NCPB logos, “he said.
Hardware of interest
Malai said that the hardware was selling the repackaged fertilisers at higher prices of between Ksh6,000 and Ksh7,000.
He said that they have arrested the owner of the lorry and the owner of the business as they pursue leads on other accomplices.
The commissioner warned that the security officers will continue to remain vigilant to arrest such unscrupulous businessmen threatening the food security by denying farmers access to the subsidised fertilisers.
Agriculture ministry reaction
Abdullah Osman, an official from the Ministry of Agriculture who led the team to Keringet, said that they were following leads on fraudulent traders who they suspected had colluded to hinder the successful implementation of the subsidy programme.
He said that they will move around the country doing spot checks and intelligence gathering on such activities to ensure that the programme is not sabotaged.
“I call on farmers and members of the public to continuously share with the government agencies any suspicious activities that could affect the programme,” he said.
Principal Secretary, State Department for Agriculture, Paul Kiprono Ronoh, said that the fertiliser programme is a key government intervention aimed at lowering the farmers’ production costs and that any attempt to divert or illegally trade these inputs undermines the support meant for hard-working farmers.
Last year, another consignment of 233 bags of repackaged subsidised fertiliser was nabbed a few kilometres from the town in Kuresoi North.
The suspects are currently held at Keringet police station, awaiting the conclusion of the investigation and subsequent prosecution.