The government has responded to claims that it sold fertiliser donated by the Russian government during the August 2023 Russia-Africa Summit, clarifying that the fertiliser was not in usable form and had to undergo blending before being distributed to farmers.
This clarification comes in the wake of allegations by impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who accused the state of misappropriating the donation. Gachagua claimed the Russian fertiliser, which was intended to be distributed free of charge, was rebranded, sold at inflated prices, and used as a profit-making venture by private companies.
“The Russian government gave us 40,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser but the government blended and sold the donated fertiliser from Russia, which was processed and sold to Kenyans,” Gachagua said. “These donations were handed to some companies and then resold to the government at market rates, pocketing billions.”
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In response, the government admitted it received 33,835 metric tonnes—equivalent to 676,700 50-kilogram bags—of fertiliser raw materials comprising Muriate of Potash, Urea 46%N, and NPK 27:6:6:2S.
However, according to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, the raw materials were not in forms that could be directly applied to crops. To make the fertiliser usable and crop-specific, blending and granulation were necessary.
“It became prudent to blend the fertiliser raw materials into crop-specific blends to turn the fertiliser into forms that could be used directly by farmers,” the statement read. “This process increased both the quantity and variety of fertiliser suitable for different crop value chains such as tea, rice, maize, and horticultural crops.”
The government stated that the transformation process allowed for the production of 103,350 metric tonnes—or over 2 million 50-kg bags—of ready-to-use, crop-specific fertiliser. These were distributed under the National Fertilizer Subsidy Programme (NFSP) to registered farmers across the country.
Local fertiliser manufacturers were invited to competitively bid for the blending and granulation process. Maisha Minerals and Fertilizers Limited emerged as the successful bidder, undertaking the task of processing and distributing the fertiliser.
The statement emphasized that the cost paid to the manufacturer only covered the additional raw materials, micronutrients, processing, and transportation to National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots—not the fertiliser donation itself.
The government maintained that the decision to process the raw materials ensured maximum utility, improved soil health, and expanded the number of beneficiaries.