Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge has told President William Ruto to issue an Executive Order that will net officials within his administration who have played a role in the influx of fake subsidized fertilizer in the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots.
The UDA sponsored MP, who is the chairman of the Parliamentary Coffee Caucus, told President Ruto not to spare any official that has been implicated in infiltration of the fake fertilizer that has irked farmers countrywide.
He wants a thorough probe to be conducted at the Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) and NCPB so as to weed out officials that have partnered with unscrupulous traders to distribute substandard fertilizer.
“People who are sabotaging the efforts of our government in terms of food security must be put in the same league with terrorists. We need an Executive Order on the issue of adulterated fertilizer. On this matter, heads must roll from the Ministry of Agriculture, KEBS, ACA and NCPB,” Mathenge said.
“None of the failed officials should be spared. It is the high time that we accepted that the leadership positions we occupy are positions of responsibility to our nation. Failure to act as expected is a crime against our people,” he added.
The MP accused the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of failing to curb distribution of the fake fertilizer.
“NIS and DCI are as guilty as the people who are allowed fertilizer to enter the depots of NCPB. NCPB must have its own quality assurance department so that they can be able to test randomly the delivery of fertilizer in all depots in the country,” he said.
Mathenge said that the National Assembly, once it resumes its sittings, will summon Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi and other government agencies to shed light over the fake fertilizer scandal.
On Saturday, Bumula MP Jack Wamboka asked the Agriculture CS to resign following the scandal that has pitted his ministry.
Wamboka termedthe issue of fake fertilizer as ‘grave’ and that it should be addressed by MPs across the political divide.
“President William Ruto should have dismissed the CS immediately. Everything about Linturi seems to be accompanied by a scandal,” said Wamboka in Bungoma town.
Wamboka stressed the need for investigative authorities to intervene and thoroughly scrutinize the parties involved in the distribution of counterfeit fertilizer.