Gov’t Orders KEBS To Destroy 27,518 Bags Of Expired Fertilizer At NCPB Depots
Mutahi Kagwe, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, issued an order on Thursday to destroy 27,518 bags of outdated fertiliser at various National Cereals Produce Board (NCPB) shops.
CS Kagwe guaranteed that the government and the people will not suffer any losses.
In a communiqué, Kagwe stated that the costs will be borne by the supplier because the bags were delivered on a consignment basis, with the destruction overseen by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
“Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has today ordered the destruction of 27,518 bags of an expired consignment of fertiliser held in various National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores across the country,” the Ministry stated.
“The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is to supervise the safe destruction of this consignment of sulphate of ammonia (21%) fertiliser that was delivered to NCPB by the supplier between December 27, 2024, and January 6, 2025,” it further added.
#BETAKILIMO #MkulimaKwanza pic.twitter.com/c7cBpaSTA0
— Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Development (@kilimoKE) March 13, 2025
According to the ministry, the shipment given to NCPB, totaling 34,100 bags (50 kg), arrived after prior tests by KEBS indicated that the fertiliser met Kenyan standards.
“Prior to contract execution, samples of the fertiliser were drawn by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) for testing, and the results indicated that the fertiliser complied with the requirement for Sulphate of Ammonia (21%N) and NPK fertilisers as per Kenyan standards,” noted the Ministry.
However, upon delivery, the Board noted the fertiliser’s limited shelf life, which was slated to expire near the end of February.
Following the discovery, the supplier was alerted and directed to deliver fertilizer with a longer shelf life.
“Upon supply, NCPB noted the short shelf life, which was to lapse on February 28, 2025, as indicated in the packaging material,” it explained.
‘The supplier was notified of the same and requested to deliver fertiliser with a longer shelf life, as the entire consignment was unlikely to be sold by the end of February.”
With Kenyans concerned about the prospect of bogus fertiliser entering the market, Kagwe hastened to reassure them that the fertiliser would be secured and destroyed.
“Per standard operating procedures, the unsold fertiliser would not be released to the market and would be safely destroyed,” he averred.
ALSO READ:
- Ruto Assents THREE Major Bills To Law, Targets Reform & Investment Boost
- Kenya Railways Issue Fresh Insight To 80-Year-Old Tenant’s Eviction Saga
- Kenya’s Truck Drivers Strike Over Increased Harassment, Deaths At KEY Borders
- Mbadi, Ruth Odinga In A War Of Words Over ODM Legacy As The Rift Widens
- Busia Family Holds Mock Burial For Kin Killed In Russia-Ukraine war
The latest comes after the country has been rocked by multiple fake fertiliser scandals, the most noteworthy of which occurred during the tenure of former Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi.
In March 2024, President William Ruto and his administration faced widespread criticism for deliberately delivering fake fertilizer to farmers during the critical planting season.
The scam, which implicated the NPCB, emerged after KEBS reported that NCPB executives plotted to rob Kenyan farmers.
NCPB sold 139,688 bags of 25 kg each of soil amendment and conditioner worth Ksh209 million, claiming it was a genuine fertiliser.
Gov’t Orders KEBS To Destroy 27,518 Bags Of Expired Fertilizer At NCPB Depots
