Nairobi News

The Tanzanian government vehemently warned Kenya about implicating it in its fake fertilizer scandal following sensational remakes by a controversial Nairobi based lawyer that the fake fertilizer originated from Tanzania.

It all began on April 24, 2025, when renowned lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi claimed he had actionable intelligence that the fake fertilizer was manufactured and procured from Tanzania- all from a quarry where stones, sand and goat manure was sourced.

“I now have actionable intelligence that the fake fertilizer was manufactured/procured from Tanzania. I challenge Waziri Linturi, National Cereals and Produce Board and MEMS to tell Kenyans the quarry in Tanzania where the goat manure, sand and stones were mixed and in what proportions? Did KRA receive taxes from MEMS or did the fake manure pass through panya routes?

In his April 25, 2024, statement, Mr Hussein Bashe, the Minister in the Ministry for Agriculture in Tanzania, rubbished Mr Abdullahi’s claims, warning him against implicating his country and to clean up their mess in Kenya.

“Brother, is this comment intended as part of the usual banter between Tanzania and Kenya, or are you serious? Tanzania is not connected to any fake fertilizer scandal, so please do not associate us with the popular hustler culture. Tanzania does not export counterfeit commodities, including fertilizer, to Kenya.

We are well aware of the exact nature of the goods our two companies have exported through official channels. Please address your issues with shortcuts and questionable practices, as our trade policies are governed by principles rooted in integrity. If there is a mess, I recommend you clean it up, do not implicate Tanzania. It is not our way,” responded Mr Bashe.

In response, Mr Abdullahi appeared to be taking back his words as he clarified some sentiments he made but still insisted that the fake fertilizer from Kenya came from Tanzania.

“Waziri, thank you for your prompt reply. I think everyone appreciates the amazing job you do over there. I keenly watch your perfervid and forceful debates in Parliament. I am not talking (sp) of genuine fertilizer exported by the Tanzania government or companies through official channels. What we have in this case is a Kenyan company that was awarded Sh1.2 billion tender to supply fertilizer to the National Cereals and Produce Board. The company bought genuine fertilizer worth Kshs 190m from a company in Thika. Then, it supplied fake fertilizer composed of goat manure, sand, and rocks and was paid about Kshs 1.9 billion.

We have credible evidence that fake fertilizer of sand, goat manure, and rocks were procured from Tanzania. Large consignments of the same are now in stores in a town in the lower Eastern Province of Kenya. Waziri, probably, you should help us identify the quarry that supplied the sand, rocks, and goat manure as the Kenyan company will not admit that it supplied our farmers sand, rocks and goat manure! Please, Waziri! We will really appreciate it,” said Mr Abdullahi.

The fake fertilizer scandal in Kenya erupted a few weeks ago when it was finally confirmed that the government had been distributing fake fertilizer despite earlier vehement denials and claiming it was opposition propaganda. These sentiments were uttered by President William Ruto’s allies and his aides from State House.

Farmers had continuously complained of buying the fertilizer only to find rocks, sand and animal waste in the bags, and that they had lost millions of shillings after using the fertilizer and not realizing the intended harvests.

An expose was also done on the same when renowned investigative journalist John Allan Namu documented the fake fertilizer in circulation and how the government was poorly handling the matter.  The opposition, led by Raila Odinga, had also been calling out the government over this particular fertilizer issue and agitating for its recall and compensation to farmers affected before the government had to accept that there was fake fertilizer in circulation.

Matters took a turn when the Kenya Bureau of Standards found that the fertilizer being distributed by the government in a subsidy program was indeed fake and proceeded to sue the company producing the fertilizer that did not meet quality requirements. Additionally, eight KEBS officials were suspended over this fertilizer scandal over the issuance of certification and marks of quality to two companies linked to this fertilizer.

Matters came to a head in early April 2024 when Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi went on a live television news show to defend the Ministry but he had a showdown with Mr Namu who called in to the show and told him off for diverting attention from the scandal and making it personal.

Several parties were summoned to Parliament over this scandal including Trade Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, officials from the National Environment Management Authority, KEBS, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. So far, there have been no high-profile arrests or sackings despite Ruto warning that anyone found culpable would be apprehended.

The fertilizer subsidy program is one of the major projects in Ruto’s manifesto to ensure food security and to see to the reduction of food prices that have been occasioned by his tax policies and global inflation.

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