By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Several senior National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) officials were on Tuesday night arrested.
Reports indicate that the arrest is related to the infamous fake fertilizer scam which is still under investigations.
According to Citizen Digital, among those attested are the NCPB Managing Director Joseph Kimote and board’s corporate Secretary John Kiplangat.
NCPB General Marketing Manager John Mbaya is also behind bars.
The three will be forced to spend at least two nights in police custody.
They are expected to be arraigned in court on Thursday.
Police have not yet revealed which charges the three NCPB officials will face when presented to court.
There are reports that Joe Kariuki, the owner of the SBL organic fertilizer company was also been sought by the police.
The fake fertilizer scandal has been a hot potato in the country for some months now.It came to light after some farmers complained of getting bags of the fertilizer that has stones and animal waste.
Initially, the government dismissed the reports terming them propaganda being spread by those against the fertilizer subsidy program.
However, the Ministry of Agriculture later admitted that some of the fertilizer sold to farmers under the program were substandard.
KCL fertilizer which was part of the subsidy program was later stopped and the finish shut down.
NCPB last week said it would compensate farmers that were issued with the said fertilizers.
However, the company at the centre of the controversy questioned how a decision to compensate farmers was reached yet investigations were still ongoing.
Meanwhile the scandal has threatened to have it’s first high level casualty with the national assembly set to debate and impeachment motion against Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula on Tuesday approved the motion that has a backing of at least 100 MPs.
The motion is expected to be debated as early as this Thursday.