Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has sounded the alarm on a potential fertiliser scandal involving a significant donation from Russia.
According to Gathungu, over 564 tonnes of raw fertiliser, part of a generous 2023 donation from Russia to Kenya, have mysteriously disappeared, suggesting a possible theft.
Russia, seeking support from African nations amidst its ongoing conflict in Ukraine, donated 34,400 tonnes of raw fertiliser to Kenya.
However, Gathungu’s audit reveals that only 33,835.9 tonnes were actually received by Kenya, leaving a shortfall of 564.1 tonnes.
The fertiliser was intended to significantly boost the production of ready-to-use manure, tripling the amount available to farmers nationwide.
The missing shipment, according to Gathungu, left Russia but never arrived at the Port of Mombasa, raising serious concerns about its whereabouts.
“NCPB (National Cereals and Produce Board) received 33,835.9 metric tonnes, hence a short landing of 564.1 metric tonnes from the 34,400 metric tonnes of fertiliser raw materials donated from Russia.
The cause of the short landing was not explained,” Gathungu stated in her audit report on the NCPB.
The financial implications of this discrepancy are substantial. With the market price of KSh 6,000 for a 50kg bag, the 1,643 tonnes of ready-to-use fertiliser that could have been produced from the missing raw fertiliser would be valued at KSh 197 million.
The total donation from Russia, once reformulated, would have had a market value of KSh 12 billion.
This donation came at a crucial time, as the global fertiliser prices had soared due to the geopolitical instability caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The loss of such a valuable resource is a significant blow to Kenya’s agricultural sector, already grappling with rising costs and supply chain disruptions.
The Auditor-General’s report has sparked calls for a thorough investigation into the disappearance of the fertiliser.
Ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of such critical resources is paramount to safeguarding the interests of Kenyan farmers and the nation’s food security.
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