The Government has reiterated its commitment to the safety of Genetically Modified Organisms [GMOs] through a robust biosafety regulatory and institutional framework and proven scientific research on various products.
The assurance comes after numerous court cases halted the government from commercial rollout and adoption of various GMO products locally.
Despite the Cabinet lifting the decade-old ban in October 2022 for the cultivation and importation of genetically modified crops and animal feeds, new court cases have since delayed its implementation.
According to Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe, the government’s decision to lift the ban was backed by findings of various studies that determined that there are robust policy, legal, regulatory institutional structures in Kenya to ensure responsible and safe applications of modern biotechnologies.
Kagwe, however, said the new litigations are solely geared towards derailing the adoption of modern biotechnologies by communities seeking to address seething challenges of pests, drought, weeds and diseases.
Kagwe said that the cabinet decision was aimed at addressing food security challenges hastened by prolonged droughts and enhancing agricultural productivity through biotechnology.
The CS dismissed the latest safety fears on which the court cases are based on noting that the government has put in place a robust biosafety regulatory and institutional framework through the National Biotechnology Development Policy, and the Biosafety Act and Regulations.
“The government’s commitment to facilitate adoption of new technologies and innovations to transform low agricultural productivity in the country is being derailed by unending litigations”, lamented Kagwe.
Kagwe said that the government will continue to support the supervision and control over the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to ensure the safety of human and animal health, and the provision of an adequate level of protection of the environment.
The CS said that the government seeks to adopt the use of modern biotechnology to boost productivity across value chains and build resilience to the effects of climate change.
Remarks were contained in a speech read by Rashid Khator, the Secretary of Administration at the Ministry of Agriculture, during the opening of the 13th Annual Biosafety Conference to review strides in building trust on the safety of GMOs.
On his part, Prof. Jenesio Kinyamario, the chair of the Biosafety Board, said despite the development of local GMOs, the lifting of the ban has attracted several litigations against the Authority and which continue to limit the full implementation.
He said that the Authority has so far approved several genetically modified organisms (GMOs) crops, such as the already commercialized BT cotton, BT maize and virus-resistant cassava, currently undergoing national trials.
The chair, represented by Director Hussein Mohammed, said they have also approved GMOs such as virus-resistant sweet potato in Kakamega, bio-fortified cassava at Alupe in Busia County, and late blight-resistant Irish potato at Molo in Nakuru County.
Others, he added, are drought-tolerant maize and the African Bio fortified Sorghum (ABS) in Kiboko, Makueni County, as well as approved field trials for testing GM vaccines for the control of Rift Valley Fever disease in cattle, goats, sheep and camel.
According to the Authority Acting CEO, Nehemiah Ng’etich, they have established a GMO testing laboratory to spearhead the necessary research before being rolled out to the country.
Ng’etich, however, decried widespread misinformation in regard to GMO adoption in the country, adding that there is a need for awareness creation to array fears about safety.
According to Prof. Douglas Miano, from the University of Nairobi, the ongoing court ban on GMOs has created uncertainty in the field after decades of research in various fields.
Prof. Miano said Kenya continues to lag behind commercialization of GMO products due to lengthy court injunctions, with negative public perception on safety being the biggest challenge.
He said Kenya joins its African peers with a mere 5 per cent adoption of GMOs despite the rapid development of the sector to address a myriad of challenges from medicine, health and agriculture, ongoing others.
He called for more awareness among Kenyans to address fears and doubts about the safety of the products, noting that farmers will be the biggest beneficiaries once the ban is finally lifted.
Miano acknowledged the capacity of local scientists in the development of GMO products backed by a robust regulatory framework.
By Erastus Gichohi and Boniface Mutie
