We will repay farmers in fake fertiliser saga, says CS

Farmers who unknowingly bought fake fertilizers will be compensated by giving them alternative fertilizers as directed by the President, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has disclosed.

This even as the Senators took Linturi (pictured) to task over his assertion that there were only 3,000 bags of sub-standard fertilizer.

According to the lawmakers, during their fact finding trips, they found out that there were thousands of bags of fake fertilizers, which were in possession of farmers across the country.

However, National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) managing director Joseph Kimote told the Senate that they were working with SBL Manufacturers on a strictly commercial agency basis where on selling its product to farmers, NCPB gets a commission with 150,000 bags distributed with a payment of Sh28 million made to the state agency.

“NCPB had practiced due diligence and if there were issues with standards it was the prerogative of the manufacturer, it is the mandate of the Kenya Bureau of Standards to check on the quality of what is manufactured and distributed,” said Kimote.

The Senators also took Linturi to task over his assertion that there were only 3,000 bags of substandard fertilizer. According to the lawmakers, during their trips, they found out that there were thousands of bags of fake fertilisers.