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Fertilizer scandal exposes rot in Kagwe’s ministry as logistics claim falls apart

When Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe claimed that 7,354 bags of fertilizer were stolen from the NCPB depot in Maua, Meru County during the June 25 protests, many Kenyans were left scratching their heads.

The number itself was not only suspiciously exact, but the logistics of such a large-scale theft during a short protest window made the entire story appear far-fetched.

A single bag weighs 50 kilograms, meaning over 367 tons of fertilizer supposedly vanished in a matter of hours without any real evidence of a coordinated raid that massive.

Mbaria wa Mbaria, through a viral X post, broke down just how absurd the claim was. He argued that to move 7,354 bags, you’d need either 37 ten-ton trucks or 245 pickup trucks. Not only would that have required serious planning and coordination, but loading and moving such a volume would likely have taken at least two full days.

Yet Kagwe wants the public to believe this happened amid a few hours of protest. His statement comes off more as an excuse to cover up failure or worse possible internal mismanagement of government resources.What this exposes is not just the possibility of a made-up figure, but the deep flaws in how government facilities are secured and managed. If even a fraction of those bags were genuinely stolen, then serious questions must be asked.

Where were the security officers? Why was such a large stockpile stored in a politically unstable area during a known protest day? Who exactly allowed the situation to spiral this badly under Mutahi Kagwe’s watch?

Even after the police reportedly recovered some bags and arrested 22 suspects, it’s clear that the damage had already been done not only to public trust but to the country’s food system.

And still, there has been no clear explanation for how the rest of the fertilizer disappeared or whether the initial figure of 7,354 bags is even accurate.

It’s also hard to ignore how quickly that exact number was shared, as if someone had it ready before the alleged looting even began. This points to either gross negligence or deliberate deception.

This is not the first time Kagwe has made questionable moves. Earlier this year, he ordered the destruction of thousands of expired fertilizer bags in other depots, raising eyebrows about whether there is a larger pattern of poor management in his ministry.

If fertilizer worth nearly Ksh30 million can disappear under his nose, what other losses are going unnoticed?

The biggest worry now is not just about missing fertilizer. It’s about food security and how vulnerable farmers are to the chaos at the top. With planting season ongoing, losing such a large stock of fertilizer whether stolen or miscounted means thousands of farmers might go without the essential input they need.

That affects food production, prices, and ultimately, the economy. Kagwe can no longer hide behind public statements and police press briefings. What happened in Maua is either a lie, a cover-up, or a display of shocking incompetence. Either way, the Agriculture CS must be held accountable. Kenya cannot afford this kind of recklessness when so many livelihoods depend on the very systems he is supposed to protect.