Aldai Member of Parliament (MP) Maryanne Kitany has urged Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi to take accountability and face the repercussions alone without implicating other leaders regarding the surge of counterfeit subsidised fertiliser in the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots.
Addressing attendees at Chepkunyuk in Nandi County during a thanksgiving ceremony for the election of Chepkunyuk Member of County Assembly John Tildai, Kitany stressed the severity of the fake fertiliser issue and demanded that the Agriculture CS address it directly.
Kitani and Linturi were at one time lovers but they fell out in 2016. They are currently in court fighting over various properties.
“This issue of distribution of fake fertiliser is serious. Those in the ministry should come out clear and stop the blame games. Someone must carry his cross alone,” the legislator asserted.
Kitany’s remarks come at a time when farmers across various regions of the country are racing against time to plant maize seedlings amidst the controversy surrounding fake fertiliser.
The MP urged the government to hold accountable senior officials implicated in the scandal rather than shifting blame to innocent leaders.
“A senior official should take the responsibility. We shouldn’t be shifting the blame to tarnish other innocent leader’s names,” she insisted.
Kitany’s sentiments found support from Nandi Hills MP Bernard Kitur, who condemned the situation, deeming it unfair for farmers to receive counterfeit fertilisers after diligently preparing for the planting season.
“It is very wrong to have such a mess in the Ministry of Agriculture. The officials should tell us why this is happening,” Kitur emphasized.
Over the weekend, reports emerged that eight officials at the Kenya Bureau of Standards had been suspended in connection with the fake fertiliser saga.
The suspensions come amidst an ongoing investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives and Parliament.
According to officials, the eight were interdicted over their involvement in issuing certification and marks of quality to two companies linked to substandard fertiliser.
These individuals were among those interrogated by the DCI on Friday last week. Upon conclusion of the investigations, the DCI will forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for further action.
