A fresh scandal has emerged in the Ministry of Agriculture even as Gen Zs pressure President William Ruto to fire incompetent people in his government.
This is after Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed that a fertilizer worth Ksh197 million donated by Russia to Kenya vanished, possibly stolen, at the high seas.
According to the Auditor General, 564.1 metric tonnes of raw fertiliser donated by Russia last year vanished before reaching Kenya’s National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).
This comes amid rising tension between Nairobi and Moscow after Ruto supported Ukraine and the US.
This alarming discovery raises suspicions of possible theft and deepens the diplomatic strain between the two nations.
The missing fertiliser consignment was part of a larger donation of 34,400 tonnes of raw fertiliser material from Russia.
This contribution was part of Russia’s strategy to gain African support amid its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The fertiliser was intended to bolster Kenya’s agricultural output by tripling the production of ready-to-use fertiliser for distribution to farmers nationwide.
The Russian Embassy in Kenya had highlighted the importance of this donation, stating in August last year that the 34,400 tonnes would significantly aid Kenya in achieving a good harvest.
The revelations come at a time of increasing friction between Kenya and Russia, exacerbated by Nairobi’s support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
This diplomatic tension adds another layer of complexity to the mystery of the missing fertiliser.
Already, young Kenyans last week demanded that Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi resigns over the fertiliser fiasco that saw farmers receive substandard fertiliser.
