Over 100 arrested for buying fertilisers from maize farmers

EASTERN PROVINCE KIREHE — A total of 116 people have been arrested in Kirehe District in connection with buying organic fertilisers designated as not for sale from local farmers since October last year. Security and district authorities also confiscated 59 tonnes of fertilisers. While visiting the district on Tuesday, Supt. Willy Marcel Higiro, the deputy Police Spokesperson, confirmed the arrests, saying 44 of the suspects have so far been charged with theft. The fertilisers are part of the 1406 tonnes the district received from Rwanda Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in August last year, which were meant for maize farmers in the Sectors of Nasho, Mpanga, Musaza and Nyarubuye. “The fertilisers are meant to benefit residents of the designated areas. Whoever is caught selling such as consignment will be dealt with accordingly,” Higiro warned. The Mayor, Protais Murayire, said that the operation helped them to curb down the rate at which farmers were selling the fertilisers in direct contrast to the directive that the inputs are strictly for farm utility and not for selling. He added the use of fertilizers has helped district to harvest 23,000 tonnes of maize last season. The New Times has since learnt that fertilisers were up for sale in Ruhegeri, Gisenyi and Burundi. According to Norbert Sendege, the RADA director, a decision on the fate of the confiscated fertilisers is yet to be reached. But farmers have since been warned against diverting the fertilizer for sale in the open market. The confiscated fertilisers are currently stored at the district headquarters and within Mpanga and Nyarubuye sectors. Sendege however warned that over storage will result in the expiry of the inputs. With 11,651 hectares of land consolidated for maize farming, Kirehe becomes the first district in the country with having such a consolidated land holding. Ends