Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has stated that the fertiliser currently under investigation for allegedly being a fake product masquerading as government-subsidised fertiliser was merely substandard.
Speaking before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday, Linturi clarified that the fertiliser, distributed nationwide through the government’s National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores, only deviated from the approved nutrient composition ratio.
Resisting the committee’s characterization of the fertiliser as fake, Linturi insisted it be labeled as substandard instead.
“The agreed standard of the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium percentage is what fell short of the agreed standards. That does not mean that the fertiliser was completely useless or fake,” he emphasized to senators.
The N-P-K ratio of fertiliser indicates the proportion of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) plant nutrients. The N-P-K numbers signify the percentage by weight of each nutrient.
Linturi clarified that the product under scrutiny did not meet the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) specifications regarding the percentage of each nutrient in NPK fertiliser. Despite accusations from the committee of “playing cat and mouse games,” Linturi maintained that government fertilisers underwent testing and approval before being distributed to farmers.
To date, NCPB has prohibited the use of NPK 10:26:10 fertilisers manufactured by Ken Chemicals Limited and KEL Chemicals’ Kelphos Plus, Kelphos Gold, and NPK 10:26:10 for failing to meet KEBS standards.