NYAGATARE - Police in Nyagatare District are searching for a man who is suspected to have stolen one tonne and 50 Kilograms of  fertilisers meant for the farmers.

Information made available to The New Times indicates that the Ministry of Agriculture has subsided the fertilizers which are offered to farmers on credit for Rwf 300 per kilo. 

The suspect, whom police has only identified as Gatera has allegedly been buying such consignments of subsidised fertilisers from farmers in Mimuli sector in which farmers have been selling these on black market. 

The fertilisers were offered to farmers by the Ministry of Agriculture in order to improve on their production. 

According to sources at Nyagatare Police Post, the suspect has been on the run since Tuesday last week. 

"We have set up a tracking team of police officers every where in the district to hunt him. We are hopeful to get him soon,” a police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because he does not speak on behalf of the institution said. 

Kajorite Nzayisenga, who is said to have been involved in the transfer of Gatera’s fertilisers, told The New Times that Gatera has been hiding hundreds of fertiliser sacks in his house in Mimuli cell. 

"I was given casual work of loading sacks of fertilisers to his vehicle to be transported to Byumba (Northern Province). But I didn’t know their source,” he said.  

Police say they are closely working with their counterparts in Byumba to make sure that the sold fertilisers are accounted for and taken back to the authorities while suspects brought to book. By press time sector  authorities were unavailable for a comment into this saga.

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