Firm tasked over bags in fake fertiliser packaging

The company whose bags were used for packaging the fake fertiliser was yesterday taken to task to explain its role in the alleged scandal.

MPs who sit in the agriculture committee that is investigating the scandal sought to know how the fake fertiliser ended up in bags manufactured by the company - Supreme packaging LLP as it bore both its logo and artwork.

While meeting top officials of the company led by Managing Partner Ashish Navinchandra Shah and operations manager Samson Kechukah, the lawmakers also demanded to know why the company produced excess bags after Kel Chemicals alleged to be behind the fake fertilizer disclosed to them that the company manufactured 69,670 bags against its own figure of 68,126 pieces.

Led by the committee chair and Tigania West MP John Mutunga, the MPs regretted that the surplus bags printed were the ones that were used to package the fake fertiliser.

Kel Chemicals that distributed the fertiliser approached Supreme packaging LLP to produce the bags in December that saw the first production being done in February this year.

Said Mutunga: “Are you aware that the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) report showed that your bags were substandard.”

 Konoin MP and vice chairperson Brighton Yegon sought to know whether the company has been given any other tender to manufacture fertilizer that is under the subsidy program. “Are you aware that your fertilizer bags exceeded the packages that you were asked to manufacture. Have you checked whether the bags printed are actually what was available in the National Cereals and Produce Board.”

Soy MP David Kiplagat sought to know whether the company was aware that some of the bags that bear the insignia of the company were printed outside the company’s premises and whether they are aware that some of the bags were not 50kg as printed on them.

He also sought to know why the company printed the extra bags and whether they have been approved by KEBs to print such bags.

He said: “Are you aware that the packaging inside the bags was less than 50 kgs.”

Wajir West MP Farah Yusuf sought to know whether the company has certification from KEBs to produce the said bags.

He said: “The issue here is that the number of bags you supplied and what we were told here is not adding up at all.”

Borabu MP Patrick Osero sought to know whether the said company would be able to distinguish their bags from fake ones in the market yet they bear the same logo and trade mark.

He said: “If there are bags out there and loaded with soil, how would you tell that they are not yours yet the blame would still fall on you.”

But speaking, Navinchandra and Kechuka exonerated their company from any wrong doing saying that they only produced 68126 bags despite Kel chemicals ordering for 85,000.

During the initial production, they said that they were being forced to do two deliveries to Kel chemicals offices in Thika due to the urgency of the product.

They however claimed that after the scandal broke out, Kel Chemicals called them on March 16 and told them to stop printing the bags for the specified fertilizer under the brand name NPK.

Said Kechuka: “Let me say this, at the time of coming up with this report we were yet to receive any communication from Kel Chemicals for further production of the fertilizer.”

He added: “it is hard for us to reconcile the difference that is there because we can only give facts that we have. We can’t tell where they got the excess bags at the moment.”

On how they differentiate the bags they print from fake ones, the duo admitted that this is a toll order because all bags have the same standards as per the KEBs requirements.

Said Kechuka: “Actually it is very hard to differentiate. All these bags are of the same standard and materials as per KEBs standards.”

With regards to quality of ty bags, although he clarified that they have been certified by Kebs, he explained that National Environment Authority (Nema) has allowed them to print two types of bags-the laminated bags or the sealed bags.

He said: “In our case we printed the laminated bags as per the wishes of the customer. Our work is just to advise them on what we have. But definitely the laminated bags are cheaper than the other ones.”

He added: “All the products we have KEBs certification.”