By Lauryne Akoth
Tanzania’s Minister for Agriculture Hussein Bashe has rubbished claims of Tanzania exporting counterfeit fertilizer to Kenya.
Bashe was responding to claims by popular Kenyan lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi. Taking to his Xpage, Ahmednasir claimed to have received intelligence that the fake fertilizer making headlines in Kenya was manufactured in Tanzania.
” I now have ‘actionable Intelligence’ that the fake fertilizer was manufactured/procured from Tanzania,” wrote the senior counsel.
“I challenge Waziri Linturi, the National Cereals and Produce Board, and MEMS to tell Kenyans the quarry in Tanzania where the goat manure, sand, and stones were mixed and in what proportions. Did KRA receive taxes from MEMS or did the fake manure pass through ‘Panya’ routes?” he further added.
While responding to the allegations, Tanzania’s Minister for Agriculture questioned whether Ahmednasir’s statement was made in earnest or as part of the customary banter between Kenya and Tanzania.
“Brother, Is this comment intended as part of the usual banter between Tanzania and Kenya, or are you serious?” quizzed Bashe.
He went ahead to vehemently deny the allegations emphasizing that hoodwinking people into purchasing counterfeit products was not in Tanzania’s culture.
“Tanzania is not connected to any fake fertilizer scandal, so please do not associate us with the popular hustler culture,” asserted Bashe.
“Tanzania does not export counterfeit commodities, including fertilizer, to Kenya. We are well aware of the exact nature of the goods our two companies have exported through official channels,” added the Minister.
Bashe urged Kenya to address the issue without besmirching Tanzania’s name.
“Please address your own issues with shortcuts and questionable practices, as our trade policies are governed by principles rooted in integrity. If there is a mess, I recommend you clean it up, do not implicate Tanzania. It is not our way,” he emphasized.
The fake fertilizer scandal has been making headlines in Kenya in recent months with the government investigating the matter.
Kenya’s Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi has been on the hot seat with several legislators calling for him to resign.
The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock summoned Linturi to shed light on the sale and distribution of counterfeit fertilizer to farmers.
The pressure on Linturi continues to intensify as Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka submitted a notice of motion to impeach him.
Wamboka, supported by signatures from 110 legislators, anticipates National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula’s prompt approval of his motion, enabling its introduction for debate in the House.