Kericho County Farmers to Receive Compensation for Substandard Fertilizer

KERICHO—Over 500 farmers in Kericho County affected by the distribution of counterfeit fertilizer will receive top dressing fertilizer as compensation, announced the National Assembly Committee on Agriculture.

According to Kenya News Agency, Vice Chairman of the committee, the decision followed a public hearing held at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depot on the outskirts of Kericho town. The hearing was part of an ongoing investigation into the distribution of substandard fertilizers by illegitimate suppliers through the NCPB. Yegon detailed that from the 1,800 bags of fertilizer stored at the Kericho depot, 537 farmers who had purchased the counterfeit product would be compensated with top dressing fertilizer to help improve their crop yields.

During his address to the media at the NCPB depot, Yegon explained the types of fertilizers withdrawn from the stores, including the KEL Green and GPC Original plus Organic fertilizers manufactured by Silica Booster Limited. He emphasized the urgency of the compensation, noting that the affected crops had already been planted and required immediate intervention to salvage potential yields.

Local farmer Hillary Koech shared his experience with the fake fertilizer, which contained small concrete stones mixed with animal manure, negatively affecting his maize crop. Koech expressed hope for receiving genuine top dressing fertilizer to ensure good maize yields.

Furthermore, during the session, farmers voiced the need for the development of policies that support modern, small-scale farmers. Julius Kibet, another local farmer, urged the committee to consider policies that facilitate year-round access to subsidized fertilizer, not just within traditional farming seasons, to aid farmers who lease land for agriculture.

The farmers also requested that certified seeds be made available through NCPB depots to enhance food security efforts and called for the distribution of subsidized fertilizer to be further devolved to local levels to reduce transportation costs. MPs in attendance, including Soin/Sigowet MP Justice Kemei and Kericho County women representative Beatrice Kemei, echoed the need for county government collaboration with NCPB to improve access to these essential agricultural inputs.