CS Kagwe Issues Directive to Destroy Over 27,000 Bags of Fertilizer
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has mandated the disposal of 27,518 sacks of outdated fertilizer, which are currently stored in various National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) warehouses across the country.
In an official announcement made on Thursday, March 13th, Kagwe declared that the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) will oversee the safe elimination of these expired fertilizer sacks.
He clarified that the shipment of expired fertilizer was delivered to NCPB by Fine Tech Edge Ltd between December 27, 2024, and January 6, 2025. “The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is to supervise the safe destruction of this consignment of Sulphate of Ammonia (21%) fertilizer that was delivered to NCPB by Fine Tech Edge Ltd between 27th December 2024 and the 6th January 2025,” the statement read.
The Agriculture CS explained that prior to the execution of the contract, KEBS took samples of the fertilizer for testing, and the results showed that the fertilizer met the requirements for Sulphate of Ammonia (21%N) and NPK fertilizers according to Kenyan standards. Subsequently, KEBS gave the go-ahead, and a total of 34,100 sacks were delivered to NCPB.
However, upon delivery, NCPB observed that the sacks had a limited usable life, set to expire on February 28, 2025, as indicated on the packaging.
“The supplier was informed of this and asked to provide fertilizer with a longer shelf life, as it was improbable that the entire shipment would be sold by the end of February. According to standard operational procedures, any unsold fertilizer would not be released to the market and would be safely destroyed,” Kagwe stated.
He also mentioned that the NCPB management issued a halt to the sale of this particular shipment on February 27th, and KEBS impounded the fertilizer on March 4, 2025, preventing any further movement until it is safely destroyed.
Furthermore, CS Kagwe confirmed that the government will not suffer any financial losses, as the fertilizer supply is on a consignment basis, meaning ownership remains with the supplier until the fertilizer is sold.
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CS Kagwe Issues Directive to Destroy Over 27,000 Bags of Fertilizer
