Most Kenyans think Linturi responsible for fake fertiliser, worst-performing CS - TIFA

More than half of Kenyans consider Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi most responsible for the dubious subsidised fertiliser under probe, a new survey shows.

The fertiliser is being investigated over allegations it was a fake product disguised as government-subsidised fertiliser and distributed across the country through the government’s National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores.

Per the opinion poll released on Thursday by research firm TIFA, 53 per cent of the respondents aware of the government programme blame Linturi for the fertiliser, which he has repeatedly maintained was only substandard.

Seventeen per cent of the respondents said they are not sure who is mostly to blame, while six per cent blamed KEL Chemicals, one of the fertiliser manufacturing firms implicated in the scandal.

Five per cent meanwhile blame the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), four per cent blame NCPB while another four per cent blame agriculture ministry officials.

Among those aware of the fertiliser, 55 per cent consider that the subsidized fertilizer programme is “not working well.”

“Such negative perceptions are highest in Coast and South Rift, and lowest in Central Rift and Northern, though with little agricultural activity found in the latter region,” TIFA said.

Meanwhile, respondents ranked CS Linturi the worst-performing CS in President William Ruto’s government, the only minister who scored a grade E.

The highest-rated ministers are Kithure Kidiki of Interior (grade B), Prime Cabinet Secretary and CS for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi (C+), Sports CS Ababu Namwamba (C+), Eliud Owalo of ICT (C) and Defence Ministry's Aden Duale (C).

Those with the lowest ratings are Energy CS Davis Chirchir (D-), Florence Bore of Labour (D-), Trade CS Rebecca Miano (D-), Zacharia Njeru of the Water Ministry (D-) and then Linturi.

TIFA said the rating attributes used to compute the ministers’ overall scores were one’s awareness among Kenyans, trust in the use of public resources without corruption, visibility and performance.

TIFA interviewed 2,912 respondents nationally through telephonic interviews conducted mainly in Kiswahili between April 27 and April 29.