Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi appeared before Parliament today  to shed light on the ongoing probe on fake fertilizer under the government’s subsidized fertilizer program being distributed in government depots.

The cabinet secretary for Agriculture was summoned by the legislators alongside Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry Rebecca Miano and officials from Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB), the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to shed light on the ongoing scandal.

During the summon Linturi revealed that SBL innovative Limited, a company that has been on the light for allegedly distributing the fake fertilizer, was not part of the selected suppliers of the subsidised commodity.

The government has contracted 10 suppliers to procure and distribute fertilizer under the initiative at a total cost of Sh4.1 billion during the short rains and an additional Sh1.2 billion for the long rains.

Addressing concerns about SBL Innovative Limited’s involvement in the program, Linturi clarified that the company has been distributing a soil conditioner through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) network.

“There is no fertilizer under the subsidy program being distributed by the company. But, it is important for the committee to note that it is not fertilizer per se, I am told it is a soil conditioner being distributed through our NCPB network,” he explained.

He went on to reveal that the agreement between SBL company and NCPB was signed even before this administration came in stressing that the government has no intentions of getting the soil conditioner as part of the subsidies to farmers.

Over the weekend a lorry carrying over 120 bags of suspected  fake fertilizer was nabbed in Bungoma as the consignment was being repackaged at a local fuel stations. The consignment according to police had the County Of Bungoma branding on them.

This even as eight KEBS officials have been suspended in connection to the fake fertiliser scandal after being interdicted over the issuance of certification and marks of quality to companies suspected of distributing the counterfeit product.