Police in Trans Mara West Sub County have arrested four people with 161 bags of subsidized Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer that they intended to sell in the local markets.
Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde said the four were arrested as they tried to sell the bags of subsidized fertilizer at a higher price to farmers.
Masinde who spoke to journalists at his office Tuesday said the suspects are being interrogated by the police and will face prosecution.
He called on the residents to be on the lookout and report any unauthorized persons dealing with the subsidized fertilizer that is selling at a reduced price of Ksh 3500 at the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB).
The commissioner challenged farmers to buy the fertilizer at the NCPB depots at Narok town, Mulot trading centre and Kilgoris town in readiness for the planting season.
“We have been told by the Meteorological department that the rains will be falling in two weeks’ time. I urge farmers to start preparing their farms early enough and buy the available fertilizer at the NCPB depots so as to plant early,” he said.
He reiterated the fertilizer at the depots was enough for all the farmers in the county asking all farmers to visit their nearest depots to benefit from cheap DAP fertilizer and urea.
In September this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Co-operatives announced the new subsidized fertilizer prices after the government availed a Ksh 3.5 billion fertilizer subsidy.
The fertilizer prices were reduced from Ksh 6,500 per 50-kilogramme bag to a maximum of Ksh 3,500 per bag and were first availed to farmers in regions experiencing the short rains.
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