Editor's Review

  • Sleuths from the DCI busted a cartel that has been siphoning produce from the Kenya Seed Company.
  • DCI noted that the cartel was hoarding stolen maize seeds that it sells to farmers at exaggerated prices.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have busted a cartel that was fleecing the Kenya Seed Company.

On Wednesday the DCI announced they had raised a warehouse owned by a supervisor at Narok’s Kenya Seed Company Branch, Brian Meja, and found 1,700 bales with the product.

Sleuths believe that Meja was in business with two other suspects from Narok identified only as Yogesh and Gaurav.

"... they (DCI) raided a facility leased by Meja a distance from Kenya Seed’s main godown, where the recovery was made. Detectives uncovered that the stolen high yielding seeds of variety 6213, are transported in two Probox vehicles daily and held at Meja’s store temporarily," a statement from the crime busters read.

Stolen seeds

"... before being moved to establishments owned by the two fraudsters. Approximately, 40 bales each containing 12 packets of 2kilogrames per packet, have been supplied daily to the two unscrupulous traders since last December," the sleuth's statement added.

According to the DCI Yogesh owns Shakti Farm products and Ololulunga Shiv Agrovets in Lulunga town and he has one other godown within Narok town that currently stores over 10 tonnes of stolen seeds.

The other suspect Gurav operates Sai Agrovet in Bomet.

"Preliminary investigations indicate that in a bid to rake in more profits at the expense of poor farmers, the crooked traders package ordinary coloured maize grains, disguised as genuine high yielding, Kenya Seed’s variety 6213," the DCI said.