The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has exposed ongoing scam of selling fake fertilizer to unsuspecting farmers in Kakamega County.
Over 700 bags of the fake product were impounded on Tuesday, March 19 at a storage facility in Malava.
Nathan Malewa, is one of the farmers counting losses, after discovering that the eight bags each containing 25 kilograms of fertilizers were instead made up of stones.
“I came here (Malava) on 5th of this month, lined up and bought eight bags weighing 25 kilos each. I even have the receipt. Later I heard that the fertilizer we purchased is fake. Since I had not used mine, I cut open one of the bags, poured some into a plate and added water. Normal fertilizer would dissolve but this one, it was just stones,” Malewa narrated.
Milka Mkhwana, another small-scale farmer, was disappointed after spending her hard earned KSh8,000 only to realize she also purchased fake fertiliser.
“I bought the fertilizer and just stored it as i wait for the planting season. But when I heard about rumors about the fake fertilizers and I opened up one bag to ascertain whether it was true. I noticed this fertilizer did not dissolve in water like it should. There were stones instead.”
DCI officers who impounded the storage facility revealed that the bags of fertilizer allegedly being distributed by the county government were comprised of a mixture of stones and sand.
However, more questions came up after Chekalini Ward Member of County Assembly (MCA) Titus Kwoma revealed the county and national government fertilizers varied in prices.
“One bag of 25 kilograms of fertilizer is being sold at KSh1,920, while a 50 kilogram bag of fertilizer from national government is going for KSh2,500,” he added.
In the county’s defense, Agriculture CEC Benjamin Adama said the county fertilizer was tailor made after analysis of the Kakamega soil.
“We moved around within the county and tested our soils in different forms. Then, including our partners we provided specifications to procurement to get the right fertilizer for the people of Kakamega,” he explained.
Now, farmers who are already counting losses demand a refund hoping they will make other purchases before the planting season lapses.
