Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi and his Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh are wanted for arrest and prosecution.
This is after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution approved charges for the two among others.
The move has broken the CS and others’ careers as they face long and rigorous prosecution. They will face among others abuse of office charges.
Detectives were Friday looking for the group to face charges. Officials said the two and five other senior officials including those from National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) had been summoned for processing.
NCPB Managing Director Joseph Kimote is among those to be arrested again. This is a separate file, which is being investigated.
Detectives at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have opened nine separate files into the saga. Those wanted for prosecution were expected the DCI headquarters in Nairobi for processing, officials said.
Linturi is among those who were grilled by police over the manufacturing, distribution and sale of substandard fertilizer to farmers under the fertilizer subsidy programme.
He met police in his office last Friday during which he was grilled for up to two hours, officials said. Sources aware of the grilling said Linturi who was accompanied by his advisers and legal team denied any role in the scam.
He told the police his role is policy and he is not involved in procurement at all.
The detectives are still pursuing the matter and more grilling sessions are planned for those mentioned. The ODPP had directed the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to carry comprehensive and thorough investigations regarding the manufacturing, distribution and sale of substandard fertilizer to farmers under the fertilizer subsidy programme.
Director of Public Prosecution Mulele Ingonga approved the charges for the first group of those implicated in the scam. Linturi is also facing an impeachment motion in Parliament.
Linturi has been adversely mentioned in the scam but he denies any role. He has linked the saga to politics. For instance, appearing before the National Assembly’s Agriculture Committee, Kel Chemicals Chief Operating Officer (COO) Devesh Patel dragged the names of senior government officials including Linturi into the scandal.
The damning allegations from Patel came barely a week after Kel Chemical’s factory was inspected and later closed by Linturi over alleged involvement in the fake fertilizer scandal.
The ministry of agriculture said they had completed the testing on all fertilizers being distributed under subsidy programme.
A statement said all fertilizers being distributed meet the required quality requirements except those manufactured and distributed by Ms KEL Chemicals-branded Kelphos Plus, Kelphos gold and NPK 10:26:10, which did not meet all required test parameters.
The ministry told farmers who have acquired or possess fertilizer from KEL Chemicals to immediately discontinue its use and to visit their nearest NCPB facility for further guidance.
The Ministry of Agriculture directed NCPB to replace all the substandard fertilizers that were distributed to farmers as it escalates the probe into the fake fertilizer scandal.
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