Sam Gituku grilled agriculture CS Mithika Linturi in an interview on Citizen TV in regards to the ongoing fake fertilizer controversy surrounding the Ministry of Agriculture.
Linturi has staunchly defended the government, refuting claims of the presence of counterfeit fertilizer in the government's inventory. Instead, he has argued that what is available in the market is substandard fertilizer.
During the interview, journalist Sam Gituku pressed the CS to provide the antonym of "fake," given his assertion that there is no fake fertilizer. In response, Linturi stated that "genuine" is the opposite of "fake."
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"What is the opposite of fake?" Sam Gituku asked.
"Genuine" Answered Linturi.
"So is the substandard fertilizer genuine?" Gituku asked.
Gituku proceeded to inquire whether the fertilizer available in the market is authentic. The Agriculture CS struggled to provide a direct response, stating that it is up to scientists to determine what constitutes quality fertilizer.
Linturi further elaborated that the fertilizer he had been referring to lacks essential nutrients for plant growth. He asserted that the matter of fake fertilizer had been politicized.
"This thing can only be understood by scientists when it comes to issues defining what is correct and what is not correct." Answered Linturi.
"The fertilizer I am talking about lacks the necessary percentages of the compounds required by a plant. People have taken this matter and politicized it." Linturi added.
