Fake Fertiliser Probe: Gov’t Shuts Down KEL Chemicals Factory In Thika
The government has revoked the license of KEL Chemicals, a company located in Thika, accused of providing farmers with inferior fertilizers through the government’s fertilizer subsidy initiative.
This statement was made by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi shortly after he visited the mentioned company, where he examined the production, blending, packaging, and subsequent distribution of fertilizer to farmers nationwide.
“I want to confirm that we have withdrawn the license of KEL chemicals and this area is now considered a crime scene with no operations until the Investigations on this matter are completed,” he said.
The Cabinet Secretary also mentioned that the State would withhold any funds owed to KEL for the bags they’ve already delivered within the country until the investigation is completed.
Chandrabhan Chimurkah, KEL Chemicals’ General Manager, mentioned that they conducted internal investigations and found a glitch in the production process from March 5 to 10, 2024.
He clarified that approximately 3,000 bags were impacted by this hitch. They are presently in the process of tracking these bags, with 516 already located and handed over to the Kenya Revenue Authority for testing by the appropriate government agencies.
“In my understanding, what happened was a slight problem where the ingredients being mixed could have been contaminated during the production.
“It could be that a few workers stepped on them or some ingredients fell and they collected them and put them in the bags, ” he said.
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Up to this point, the powder section operations at KEL Chemicals, responsible for blending the fertilizer, have been halted, leading to the unemployment of approximately 150 individuals out of the total workforce of 275 employed by the company.
“We are working with the government to trace all the bags and we will cooperate all through,” Mr Chimurkar said.
He elaborated that throughout his forty years in the fertilizer industry, he has consistently maintained the quality of his products without encountering any problems.
Victor Mosota, the legal representative for KEL Chemical, stated that they have conducted a thorough investigation and will soon provide additional information regarding the issue.
“We did not receive any complaints from our clients and only became aware of this issue through the media. We have done some probe and we will issue a full statement on the matter upon conclusion of the Investigations. For now, we comply with the government directive,” he said.
The license revocation follows a one-week period during which the Ministry of Agriculture halted KEL Chemicals’ activities and directed the immediate seizure of its fertilizer products being sold in Kenya.
A directive that came after the completion of the testing of all fertilizers being distributed to farmers across the country.
According to the tests carried out by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), Kelphos Plus, Kelphos gold and NPK 10:26:10 manufactured by KEL Chemicals did not meet the stipulated requirements.
Fake Fertiliser Probe: Gov’t Shuts Down KEL Chemicals Factory In Thika