Editor's Review

The suspects are currently in custody pending arraignment.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested 8 suspects in Meru County over stealing government-subsidized fertilizer during the June 25 protests.

In a statement on Monday, June 30, DCI said the 8 suspects were arrested during an intelligence-led operation in Luluma village, Maua township.

During the operation, the DCI detectives recovered 63 bags of the stolen subsidized fertilizer.

“An intelligence-led operation conducted in Luluma Village, Makiri area, and Maua Township by law enforcement officers from Igembe South Sub-County has resulted in the arrest of eight suspects and the recovery of 63 bags of government fertiliser stolen during the June 25, 2025, demonstration,” read part of the statement.

The sleuths also seized one vehicle and three motorcycles believed to have been used by the suspects to transport the stolen fertilizer.

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File image of stolen fertilizer recovered in Meru. 

“The operation also led to the seizure of one motor vehicle, a silver Probox registration number KCW 822T and three motorcycles: KMFS 106Q, KMFY 687H, and KMFM 529E, believed to have been used to transport the stolen goods,” DCI stated.

Additionally, eight bags of cement were recovered along with the stolen fertilizer.

The 8 suspects are currently in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment.

This comes days after Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe said that over 7,000 bags of fertilizer valued at Ksh29.5 million were looted from the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depot in Meru.

"Preliminary assessments show that over 7,354 bags of fertilizer, each weighing 50kg and valued at over Ksh. 29.5 million were looted from the depot. This fertilizer is a vital input for farmers across the region. Its loss threatens to trigger a catastrophic crisis for both food crop and cash crop production," he stated.

CS Kagwe noted that the vandalism was not merely an attack on infrastructure but a threat to the nation’s food supply chain.

"The attack on the NCB depot is not just a property crime; it is a direct assault on Kenya's food security. Fertilizer was looted, fertilizer meant to sustain farmers through this planting season. This reckless act jeopardizes the ability of our farmers to grow food, feed their families, and support the national economy," he added.