Kenya has joined other East African countries in developing a regional biotechnology strategy that prioritises equitable access to biotechnology benefits, preservation of biodiversity and public education to build trust and acceptance.
Kenya’s National Biosafety Authority (KNBA) — the competent authority for biosafety and designated as the National Focal Point for both the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Biosafety Clearing House — participated in validating the strategy, which aims to harmonize biotechnology policies and regulations to overcome fragmented national frameworks that slow innovation and complicate trade.
The East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) Executive Secretary, Dr Sylvance Okoth, while addressing delegates from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the USA and others in Nairobi, called on experts to look deeper into the pillars of the strategy and incorporate views presented during the workshop.
“Let us help partner states lagging behind,” he urged during the three-day forum.
On his part, the National Biosafety Authority Acting Director for Biosafety Awareness, Assessment and Collaborations, Josphat Muchiri, underscored the importance of having a harmonized strategy.
“This 10-year strategy, projected to run from 2026 to 2036, will boost crucial regional adoption of safety and implementation standards, and as a country we have been at the forefront of championing for this strategy,” he said.
Kenya has already established a multi-secretariat committee for the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, led by the National Biosafety Authority as the competent national institution on matters of GMOs.
In addition, the Biosafety Act Cap 320 mandates the National Biosafety Authority to promote awareness and education among the general public in matters relating to biosafety, as well as establish a Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) to facilitate the exchange of scientific, technical, environmental and legal information on, and experience with, living modified organisms.
The Authority has jurisdiction over all genetically modified organisms in Kenya — whether approved, illegal or unintended. Kenya has also developed guidelines on risk assessment, facility certification, genome editing and GMO testing. Laboratory quality and biorisk management standards such as ISO 20387:2018 for biobanking and ISO 35001:2019 for biorisk management are being implemented through the Kenya National Accreditation Service (KENAS).
Kenya has approved trials for genetically modified crops like banana, cassava, yam and sorghum at KALRO, with Bt cotton cleared for commercial use and limited trials for Bt maize and virus-resistant cassava. Genetically modified food aid is allowed after safety checks, and seven genome editing projects have been approved to improve crop traits.
Meanwhile, the East African Community (EAC) envisions a transformative future where biotechnology drives socio-economic development, food security, healthcare, environmental sustainability and industrial growth across its partner states from 2026/27 to 2036/37.
This regional biotechnology strategy, developed by EASTECO, aims to guide the safe, secure and responsible use of innovative biotechnological tools and products, harmonizing policies and fostering collaboration to maximize benefits while mitigating risks.
The strategy regards biotechnology as a critical enabler for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with the EAC Treaty emphasising Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) as pillars for regional integration and development. EASTECO coordinates STI initiatives to support socio-economic progress across all eight partner states, with development partners collaborating closely under its facilitation.
The strategy aligns with major international frameworks, including the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, Africa CDC’s biosafety and biosecurity strategy and the EAC Vision 2050. These frameworks collectively underscore biotechnology’s role in eradicating hunger, promoting health, ensuring environmental stewardship and fostering unity and prosperity in East Africa.
Burundi has been a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity since 14 July 1997, a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety since 31 December 2008, and to the Nagoya Protocol since 23 June 2014. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol.
Rwanda joined the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1995 and ratified the Cartagena Protocol in 2002 and the Nagoya Protocol in 2014. South Sudan joined the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in February 2014 but has not yet acceded to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety or the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol.
Tanzania joined the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in March 2003 and ratified the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol in 2018, while Uganda ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1993 and later joined related protocols. Uganda’s National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy was adopted in 2008.
By Michael Omondi
