Kisii County Minister Warns of Fertiliser Scam and Launches Crackdown

The County Government of Kisii County in collaboration with the county government is set to embark on an intense crackdown on peddlers of fake fertilizers amid a rise in syndicates in counterfeit products.

This was revealed during a joint meeting by representatives from the two levels of government and the County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Cooperative Development Elijah Obori.

The CECM cited an incident in Suneka in Kisii South Sub-County which saw two suspects arrested on suspicions of dealing in adulterated government fertilizer meant to be distributed to farmers.

Farmers have since been cautioned against buying fertiliser and seedlings that are not certified by the government. According to Obori, open-air markets in Kisii County are the most notorious for selling adulterated fertilizer.

“We are here to inform the public that our farmers should not go to the markets and purchase anything purported to be fertilizer from open-air markets,” Obori warned.

The CECM further clarified that government-certified fertilizer can only be purchased from designated agro-fed shops.

He added, “It is crucial for our farmers to avoid open-air markets and instead buy fertilizers from authorized dealers to ensure they are getting genuine products.”

The county government also warned farmers against purchasing seedlings in open-air markets, saying they posed a health hazard not only to the farmers but to the final consumer as well since there was a risk they had not met the standard for planting.

“When farmers buy fertilizers from unregulated sources, it affects food security because the source of that fake fertilizer is not known and it cannot be traced.”

Obori also revealed that going forward, the county government would embark on a crackdown on all fertilizer vendors across all markets.

The government has for months fought against the recurring issue of fake fertilizer in circulation. In March 2024, the then Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi was forced to issue a clarification on claims the government was distributing counterfeit fertilizer, terming the allegations as propaganda.

At the time,  James Kamau, Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries was at pains to answer how fake fertilizer had made its way to government silos.