Eight arrested for alleged fertilizer theft during June 25 protests

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says eight individuals have been arrested in connection to the theft several bags of government fertilizer from the National Cereals Produce Board (NCPB) depot in Maua, Meru during the protests held on June 25, 2025.

Of the bags reported stolen from the Maua depot, DCI says they managed to recover 63 bags of the fertilizer and eight bags of cement during an intelligence-led operation carried out in Maua Township and Luluma village in Makiri area.

Additionally, the police recovered one motor vehicle, a Toyota Probox bearing the registration numbers KCW 822T as well as three motorcycles bearing the plate numbers KMFS 106Q, KMFY 687H, and KMFM 529E, believed to have been used to ferry the stolen goods.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe had earlier issued a statement in regards to the theft, reporting that 7354 bags of government fertlilizer were stolen from the depot in Maua.

He stated that the bags weighed 50kg each totalling to 367.7 tonnes (367,700kgs) valued at Kshs. 29.5 million.

Kagwe termed the incident to be a direct assault on Kenya’s food security as the stolen fertilizer was intended to benefit farmers during the planting season.

The Cabinet Secretary called on the security agencies to swiftly act on the matter and to apprehend those responsible.

"Those who rob, destroy, and loot public installations like the NCPB are not demonstrators, they are criminals and anarchists and they must be treated as such," he said.

The fertilizer looting is one of several theft and property destruction incidents reported across the country as thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to protest in honour of those who lost their lives during last year’s protests against the 2024 Finance Bill.

Demonstrators also decried increased police brutality, extrajudicial killings and demanded for accountability from government in wake of crackdowns on dissent.