By Victor Njuru
A massive batch of fertilizer, donated by the Russian government to Kenya has reportedly been stolen while in transit.
The fertilizer was intended to boost the Kenyan economy, especially the Kenyan food security strategy.
“More than 34,000 tonnes of fertilizer donated to Kenya by the Russian Uralken-Uralkali Group are now being formulated to produce 100,200 tonnes of fertilizer. This will help Kenya a lot to get a good harvest this year,” the Russian Embassy in Kenya said on donating the fertilizer.
According to local media, the consignment was on its way through a sea transport mode but however faced some challenges that caused it to lose some of the fertilizers inexplicably before reaching Mombasa Port.
“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 donated by Russia. The cause of the short landing was not explained,” Nancy Gathungu, the Auditor General, revealed in an audit report.
The disappearance of the fertilizer has prompted an investigation by Kenyan authorities to look into possible violations connected to the handling or supervision of the shipment.
The Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant bodies are working with global counterparts, including the Russian authorities, to gather information regarding transportation and other factors that contributed to the loss.
“The fertilizer donation was intended to support our farmers and enhance agricultural productivity,” remarked a government spokesperson, highlighting the importance of the aid initiative.
The loss, however, has sparked widespread dismay among agricultural stakeholders in Kenya, who were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the much-needed inputs.
Agriculturists and other stakeholders in food production in Kenya are awaiting updates on the whereabouts of the remaining stocks of the faulty fertilizer and the measures being considered to reverse the effect of this great loss as a blow to the nation’s food security agenda.
The incident underscores the crucial need for efficient and transparent distribution channels for international aid contributions aimed at supporting developing economies like Kenya’s agricultural sector.