Top govt officials roped in sub standard fertiliser distribution » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 19 – The puzzle on who supplied substandard fertilizer to farmers remains unriddled even as KEL Chemicals firm accused of supplying the commodity roped in top government officials in the scandal.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Agriculture, KEL Chemicals Managing Director Patel Devesh revealed that high level government officials are intimidating him pushing him to take blame for supply of the sub-standard fertilizer.
In the details submitted before the house committee, Mems Distributors Limited approached KEL Chemicals in January 2024 with a Local Purchase Order to supply and distribute NPK fertilizer on their behalf under the subsidy program.
Mems Distributor had been awarded a tender contract by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to supply NPK fertilizer but they lacked the technical capacity prompting them to subcontract KEL chemicals.
“The company having received the valid approval from KEBS on the test product, we proceeded to prepare a second batch and made the requisite application for the standardization mark permits. KEBS issued the mark on 31st January 2024,” Devesh said.
In the first batch orders issued in February, KEL distributed 50,000 bags worth Sh 190M which had no standard issues prompting another purchase order of 500,000 bags on 12th March worth Sh 1.8Billion.
KEL Chemicals supplied 69,670 bags with a deficit of 480,030 bags before the product was flagged by Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) for being substandard for failing to meet the necessary requirement for NPK fertilizer.
However according to KEL Chemicals Operating Manager the company carried out due diligence by conducting independent analysis on the fertilizer alluding that the discrepancy surrounding the deliverable quantities might have led to adulteration of the company product.
“The difference between the deliverable quantities points to the discrepancy surrounding the spiking and adulteration of the company product before delivery to farmers,” Devesh stated.
KEL Chemicals expressed the quantity of bags recalled from the farmers are of a higher quantity than those distributed to them raising issues as to the accountability and origin of extra bags.
Devesh mentioned the bags used for the supply and deliver of the fertilizer under the whole government subsidy programme were done by Supreme Packaging LLP.
Lawmakers pointed out that either Mems Distributors Limited or KEL Chemicals distributed the sub-standard fertilizer to farmers with an aim of hoodwinking farmers.
“I read mischief on this whole issue, either Mems or whomever got hold of the manufactured bags, messed up with product and supplied the product,” said Soy MP David Kiplagat.
KEL Chemicals Operation Manager refuted the MPs claims narrating how he was forced into a meeting in the National Cereals and Produce Board offices where he was forced to write a letter admitting that they distributed fake fertilizer.
In the meeting which was held at 3:30pm,he was ushered by NCPB Managing Director Joseph Kimote where he found Mems Distributor CEO Collins Ngetich already present at the meeting.
The NCPB boss threatened that he was forced to return the money he had been paid by Mems Distributors for the 69,000 bags which he had delivered. The company said it had been paid Sh170 million while Sh77 million is pending.
“I was threatened to refund the money paid for the supply of the NPK fertilizer asked them to identify the complaints of the fertilizer but there were no list of complainants which they availed,” Devesh stated.
“I did the letter, printed it a cyber café around the offices and the same was signed at the MD office and a copy handed to the Mems Distributors managing director who was present,” he added.
On the same day, Devesh was informed of a meeting at Harambee House where they arrived in the company of Kimeto and Ngetich.
Kimote would then leave them and proceed to a meeting with certain individuals. Hours later, he was ushered into the room and found Agriculture PS Kipronoh Ronoh, his Trade counterpart Juma Mukhwana, and the KEBS boss Esther Ngari.
At around 7pm, the Head of Public Service Felix Koskei arrived asked him to recant his statements on the circumstances surrounding the distribution of the controversial fertilizer.
Devesh disclosed KEBS Managing Director threatened him, and accused him of manufacturing fake fertilizer.
“While giving my statement, Ms Ngari kept interrupting him saying, ‘You are the people making substandard fertilizers. I want you to punish them Mr Koskei. I am coming to close your factories,” he said.
“Thereafter, Koskei did not finish listening to me and instead asked some police to arrest me together with Collins Ngetich and take me to the DCI headquarters in Kiambu,” Devesh added.
KEL Chemicals now want MPs to investigate the issue questioning why the blame is being apportioned to them despite being sub contracted by Mems Distributors Limited.
“I was arrested without being informed of the reasons for my arrest, no representation from counsel and I wrote my statement while under duress,”Devesh stated.
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