Audit Report Reveals 564 Tonnes of Russian Fertiliser Donation Missing

• Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu reported that over 564 tonnes of fertiliser donated by Russia to Kenya in 2023 have gone missing, raising suspicions of theft
• Russia donated 34,400 tonnes of raw fertiliser to Kenya, but the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) at the Port of Mombasa received only 33,835.9 tonnes
• The missing fertiliser was supposed to significantly increase the production of ready-to-use manure for farmers across Kenya
• Gathungu noted in her audit that the discrepancy in the shipment was unexplained, as the fertiliser left Russia but never arrived in full

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Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has blown the whistle in yet another possible fertiliser scandal.

Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu said over 564 tonnes of fertiliser from Russia to Kenya disappeared. Photo: Office of the Auditor General Uganda. Source: Twitter

According to Gathungu, more than 564 tons of fertiliser that Russia gave Kenya in 2023 vanished over the ocean, suggesting that it might have been stolen.

Russia donated 34,400 tonnes of raw fertiliser to Kenya as it sought support from African nations in its deadly offensive in Ukraine. However, Gathungu said Kenya only received 33,835.9 tonnes.

The raw fertiliser was expected to triple the amount of ready-to-use manure produced and sent to farmers across the country.

She affirmed that the missing shipment left Russia but never made it to Kenya as it never showed up at the Port of Mombasa.

"NCPB (National Cereals and Produce Board) received 33,835.9 metric tonnes, hence a short landing of 564.1 metric tonnes from the 34,400 metric tonnes of fertiliser raw materials donated from Russia. The cause of the short landing was not explained," Gathungu said in her audit on NCPB.

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What is value of missing Russian fertiliser

At the market price of KSh 6,000 for a 50kg bag, the 1,643 tonnes of ready-to-use fertiliser that would have been generated from the 564 tonnes of missing raw fertiliser would have been valued at KSh 197 million.

In total, the 34,400 tonnes of fertiliser from Russia would be worth KSh 12 billion on the market after reformulation.

The Eastern European power donated the commodity to Kenya amid a sharp rise in global fertiliser prices due to the invasion.