John Allan Namu explains how he exposed fake government fertilizer scandal
Veteran investigative journalist John Allan Namu has detailed the origins of his documentary The Seed Fraud, which exposed the distribution of fake government fertilizers across the country.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s Newsgang Show on Thursday, Namu revealed that the team at Africa Uncensored has started working on the project in November 2022, after receiving a story from a source who introduced him to the forger.
“This investigation began at the end of October … beginning of November 2022. I was told by a source who led me to someone who was sending fake products all over the country.
What he saw shocked him, because he saw how much he earned, where this fertilizer came from and going to Uasin Ngishu, Kitui district and other parts of the country,” he said.
Determined to get to the bottom of the revelation, Namu puts his team to work to retrieve evidence that will shock the nation in March 2024.
“So when we heard the story, we thought it was amazing. I mean, how could this happen without a news agency involved? I mean, my team members went and filmed it and I couldn’t believe it when I saw the footage!” he said.
The next step in the research saw Namu and his team collect fake fertilizer samples from various warehouses of the National Cereals and Production Board (NCPB).
Only forensic tests can confirm the exact composition of counterfeit products.
