The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Managing Director Esther Ngari on Wednesday, March 20, revealed that a select brand of fertiliser being distributed under the government subsidy programme known as GTC has not been certified by the agency.
Appearing before the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, Ngari stated that the fertiliser in question was breaching trust and did not meet the stipulated quality standards.
She added that KEBS had taken steps to prevent farmers from purchasing the product. One of the measures taken was suspending the standardisation mark on the products.
Additionally, KEBS has seized all unauthorised products. Also, the Ngari-led organisation has initiated legal proceedings against the entities responsible for releasing the said product in the market.
"These measures reflect KEBS's uncompromising stance on quality and its commitment to legal and regulatory compliance," read KEBS' statement.
During the meeting, committee members raised concerns about the certification and quality assurance of fertilisers distributed under the government's subsidy program.
The MD responded that KEBS was investigating the concerns adding that the organisation was committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and transparency in all its operations.
"KEBS' submission highlighted its rigorous certification process, which ensures that all agricultural inputs, including fertilisers, comply with the established Kenya Standards," the statement read in part.
Ngari emphasised that KEBS has the capacity to recall the flagged fertiliser from the market and also guarantee high fertiliser quality.
She added that KEBS' laboratories enable the standards agency to collect over 3,000 samples of fertilisers per year for testing to ensure they meet the required standards.
The government fertiliser subsidy program introduced by President William Ruto in 2022 has allowed farmers access the input for Ksh2,500 down from Ksh6,500.
Instructively, the subsidy was introduced to encourage farming, boost food production and reduce the amount of food Kenya imports.
However, recently there have been concerns raised by farmers who complained that the programme has experienced distribution hitches with several distribution centres empty, leaving them stranded.
Others have complained about receiving fake fertiliser mixed with sand.
Investigative journalist John Allan Namu recently exposed how some unscrupulous traders have been selling sand disguised as genuine fertiliser to farmers
