DCI detectives impound 700 bags of fertiliser mixed with stones in Kakamega

Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Kakamega County have impounded 700 bags of fake fertiliser from a depot in Malava.

Farmers in the area are now demanding answers from the county government following what they term as fraud and extortion in the county's fertiliser plan. According to the farmers, the fertiliser sold to them was mixed with stones.

"I came here on March 5 and bought 25 kilograms of the said fertiliser only to later hear that the farming input had been mixed with stones. I hadn't even used a single bag," a resident farmer told Citizen TV.

DCI detectives have since taken samples from the confiscated bags for analysis to determine the exact composition of the alleged fake fertiliser.

"When I opened one of the bags and mixed a small sample of it with water only stones remained much to my surprise," another farmer said.

This comes at a time when farmers from various parts of the country are facing long queues at different depots in search of government-subsidized fertiliser, amidst reported shortages of the commodity in the region.

"25 kilograms of this county fertiliser are being sold at Ksh.1,920. A 50-kilogram fertiliser bag from the county government on the other hand goes for Ksh.2,500. You can see where the difference is," Chekalini Ward MCA Titus Kwoma said.

The County Government has however defended the commodity citing politics in the region

"Our fertiliser was tailor made, our technical team led by my director farm inputs moved around and we tested our soils in diff forms and we learnt that its important for our people to get tailor-made fertiliser," Benjamin Adama, the County's CEC Agriculture, said.

Some Kakamega County Assembly members have since accused the county's leadership of reaping from the plight of farmers saying action must be taken on individuals involved in the fraudulent mission.