The National Assembly’s Agriculture and Livestock committee has advised the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) to engage the national government so that it could be allowed to recruit critical technical staff to enable it undertake its mandate of regulating GMOs effectively.
Members of the Committee led by Vice-chairperson MPs Leonard Brighton Yegon (Konoin), Farah Yussuf Mohamed (Wajir West) and David Kiplagat (Soy) observed that the Authority should not shy away from engaging the government, noting that the circular issued by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on recruitment could be reviewed depending on the uniqueness of an entity.
“The safety of Kenyans is important when it comes to issues of GMOs, and it comes first. Therefore, a circular can be reviewed once you reach out to the government and explain your case,” advised Kiplagat during the committee members’ visit to the NBA Headquarters in Nairobi, after which the Committee was taken through the process of GMO testing at the institution’s laboratory.
Speaking at the event, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) acting Chief Executive Officer (Ag. CEO) Nehemiah Ngetich regretted that despite the Authority having a job establishment of 106 staff, it currently has an in-post of 56 staff.
Ngetich called on the MPs to support the Authority’s request for more resources to enable it to discharge its mandate across all 24 border entry points in the country.
He revealed that the institution decentralised its services to key border points such as Mombasa, Busia, Namanga, Malaba, Lunga Lunga, and Taita Taveta and plans were underway to expand further into other entry points, including Moyale and Isebania, to strengthen its regulatory oversight. The plans are also in place to open Mandera and Lwakhakha border offices in the next financial year.
“We want to assure Kenyans that the Authority is up to the task of regulating GMOs and Kenyans are safe since there is a legal and regulatory framework in place to ensure their safety,” Ngetich reassured.
Concurrently, Acting Director Technical Services Josphat Muchiri pointed out that the Authority has stepped up its surveillance in supermarkets and entry points in the Country to ensure that there are no unregulated GMO products in the market.
“The Authority is also working with County governments across the country. This involves training of biosafety champions across the country to ensure that Kenyans understand the issues of biosafety,” announced Muchiri.
On the issue of merger with KEPHIS, National Biosafety Authority Director of Legal Services Moses Sande emphasised that the Authority was established as a result of international protocol and therefore, it should remain distinct.
“NBA regulates GMOs in crops, animals and environment while KEPHIS’ focus is on seeds. We are engaging all relevant stakeholders to convince the government of the need to retain NBA,” he asserted.
On the other hand, Ngetich disclosed that already, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) have signed an agreement that would see the two institutions work together to enhance efficiency in sea cargo clearance.
According to the Ag. CEO, the NBA-KRA Service Level Agreement (SLA) for sea cargo clearance will enable the two institutions to serve their clients effectively.
“The development of this Agreement (SLA) has been a journey that has taken over two years, and today marks a significant milestone, not just for the National Biosafety Authority but also for Kenya and all government entities involved in trade facilitation,” he noted, stressing that the greatest beneficiaries of this achievement would be the traders, who are the backbone of the Kenyan economy.
Meanwhile, NBA has achieved a major milestone in automation of its services as all customer-facing services related to GMO applications and related functions have been fully automated via the e-Citizen and KENTRADE platforms.
The Authority is established under the Biosafety Act, CAP 320 with the mandate to exercise general supervision and control over the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms with the aim of ensuring safety of human and animal health and provision of an adequate level of protection of the environment.
By Michael Omondi
