The clamour comes as about 3.3 million people are reported to face
acute food insecurity, mainly in arid areas.
In February, the Cabinet cleared the release of Sh4.1 billion
to scale up drought response interventions.
Mandera, Wajir, Kwale and Kilifi counties were placed
under the alarm phase, while 12 other counties were put in the alert
phase, most of them on a worsening trajectory.
Experts say Kenya stands at a critical crossroads in its
agricultural journey, caught between the urgency to feed a growing population
and the caution and suspicion surrounding modern scientific interventions and
GMOs.
Yet, even as scientific advances increase and state
agencies signal readiness, public skepticism ¾ particularly around
genetically modified organisms —continues to shape the national conversation.
Government agencies have taken note. In 2022, the
government lifted a ban on GMO
imports, opening the door to wider adoption. But the policy shift has not translated
into widespread acceptance.
Civil society groups have mounted spirited campaigns against GMOs,
focusing on what they call environmental risks and long-term health dangers and
the clear corporate control of seeds.
These fears, while often contested by the scientific community,
resonate deeply with a public wary of external influence over food
systems.
The Court of Appeal ruled against the government's decision to
lift the ban on GMOs on March 7 last year, throwing a spanner in
Kenya’s quest to adopt biotechnology in food production, widely adopted in key
global economies.
The contradiction is stark: Kenya continues to accept genetically
modified relief food during periods of acute hunger, particularly in arid and
semi-arid regions.
During the 2023 drought, thousands of tonnes of imported maize,
some of it genetically modified, were distributed to vulnerable communities.
For many recipients, the priority was survival, not the origin of
the grain.
“We ate what we were given. At times, you have no choice and we
have not had any health challenges,” recalls a resident of Turkana who asked
not to be named. “When you are hungry, you don’t ask many questions.”
This uneasy balance of accepting GMOs in times of crisis while
resisting their integration into routine local farming highlights the
complexity of Kenya’s position.
The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation
and the National Biosafety Authority have both renewed calls for controlled use
of certain genetically modified crops, citing rigorous scientific assessments.
They argue that delays undermine long-term food security, whereas the adoption of technologies could reduce dependence on imports and aid, and also
increase yields and farmers’ earnings.
MP John Mutunga, chairman of the National Assembly Agriculture Committee, said these GMO
crops can survive at least 70 per cent drought, resist pests and
disease. The Tigania West lawmaker said GMOs have been scientifically proven to
be safe with all due processes followed.
"Kenya receives aid, including GMO-developed produce, and
people eat it,” he said.
“There is no problem with GMOs ¾ science does not lie,”
Mutunga told farmers in Trans-Nzoia during a recent sensitisation forum. “So
long as it does not hurt crops and existing genetics and health, there is no
problem.
“Don’t listen to politics; politicians and civil society have
their own agendas. We are suffering because of ignorance.”
The NBA said GMO safety verification is done under very
strict guidance and supervision and must meet all the required standards both
pre- and post-production.
NBA evaluates the application based on relevant data for
environmental and food safety assessment as well as history of use on a
case-by-case basis.
If granted approval, the applicant is required to provide a
monitoring plan, including a stewardship plan to ensure proper and
responsible use of the GMO.
These include all GMOs, whether plant, animal or microorganisms
for environmental testing, research, demonstration and development of novel
varieties, breeds, and strains.
“No one is allowed to conduct GMO research, release, import,
export, transit the market without written approval from NBA,” said Erick
Korir, principal biosafety officer at the biosafety authority.
He said if well done, it has a huge potential to greatly improve
Kenya’s food security and can have a transformative economic impact on farmers.
Farmer Pauline Choge from Trans-Nzoia, has been trained in
GMO use. “Climate change is here and it is taking a toll on
farmers,” she said. “We also
spend a lot on chemicals but we still suffer losses. I am very happy to adopt
GMO since it will cut my costs and losses and it is safe altogether. I have learnt a lot on it and I would be glad to plant
GMO maize.”
Farmer John Mutua from Mwingi Central in Kitui county says
rains have been erratic for years, and traditional farming methods are no
longer reliable in producing good harvests.
Last season, however, Mutua participated in a pilot programme
using SMO techniques — introducing
beneficial soil microbes to improve nutrient uptake and water retention.
The results were striking: his yields nearly doubled despite
below-average rainfall.
“Before, I depended only on fertiliser and prayers,” he said with
a wry smile. “Now, the soil itself is working with me.”
He has been keen to adopt Bt maize, an approved GMO maize that incorporates
genes from the soil bacterium, allowing the soil to produce proteins toxic to
specific pests, notably stem borers and fall armyworms.
It offers natural, built-in protection, reducing the need for
chemical insecticides and lowering production costs. Studies have shown it to
increase yields by 4.52 per cent to 25.41 per cent.
Mutua is less concerned with the politics and more with the
promise of stability.
“We cannot farm like our fathers did,” he said. “The world has
changed. If these technologies can help us feed our families and earn a better
living, we should at least be willing to try.”
Kalro scientist Dr James Karanja, who is centre
director for the Food Crops Research Centre, Njoro, said Bt maize, for instance, is no different
to someone who has costly chemicals to kill weeds and crop diseases.
“We have looked at the problem in the soil and solved it by
developing more resistant seeds un affected by the same disease, so the farmer
doesn’t need to use these chemicals,” he said.
“It is like the Covid-19 vaccine we took or the vaccines we
normally get,” he said. “It is to prevent. You see people using a lot of
chemicals to get rid of diseases, so we use agro-biotechnology to address these
challenges. Remember, these chemicals sprayed on food crops are also
hazardous.”
The process is basically getting new crop varieties
through molecular breeding (also known as marker-assisted breeding), the
process of selecting a plant for its superior quality or desired trait. This is
done by examining its genetics, then identifying (or marking) which plants
contain the same piece of beneficial DNA.
“Several steps of backcrossing are necessary to get rid of
undesired genes,” Karanja said.
So far, Kenya has four Bt registered maize varieties approved by
the biosafety authority in 2022.
Eight varieties of virus-resistant cassava were approved for
environmental release in 2021.
“Research on potatoes has been completed, but public participation
cannot happen due to the court case,” NBA’s Korir told the Star.
Experts say that these crops, if adopted, could help reduce food
insecurity.
Bt cotton, on the other hand, has already been commercialised and
available to farmers in 20 counties.
Approved GMO products must be clearly labeled, which according
to NBA, supports transparency, traceability and informed choices.
“Kenya is moving forward towards biotechnology,” said Susan
Kiambi, regulatory affairs manager at Bayer East Africa. “And with examples
from South Africa that is very successful in this technology, and from Ethiopia
and Nigeria coming up very fast, it is a sure testament of what is possible. It means more food, stronger farmer income and a resilient
climatic agricultural sector.”
Cereal Growers Association official Julius Nyabicha says that with
numerous challenges including failing rainfall and crop diseases, it is time
Kenyan farmers adopted more resilient seeds. He is the lead for marketing and
communication.
More than95 per cent of farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture.
“Agriculture is becoming increasingly expensive to undertake and
profit margins are becoming leaner because of these challenges,” Nyabicha said.
He said farmers are putting a lot of money into agriculture,
pesticides, fertiliser and irrigation, which they cannot afford anymore based
on diminished returns.
Yields have dropped to below 10 bags per acre in some
regions due to crop diseases and erratic weather patterns.
With Bt maize, trials have proved that farmers can get more than
25 bags per acre with minimal spending, boosting their earnings. “We must start
adopting seeds that can withstand erratic rainfall, mature fast and
withstand the infestation of pests,” Nyabicha said.
Proponents of biotechnology say the focus should shift from fear
to informed choice.
They point to successful examples in other African countries where
biotech crops have improved yields and farmer incomes without the dire
consequences often predicted.
Biotech crops are the fastest adopted crop technology. In
1996, there were 1.7 million hectares (4,200,791 acres) planted with biotech
crops, official data show.
By 2019, about 29 countries had 190.400,000 hectares
(9,470,488,646 acres) representing a 112 per cent-fold increase. Ninety-one per
cent of the area is in the US, Brazil, Argentina, Canada and India, with 42
countries importing.
Crops included cotton (79 per cent), soybeans (74 per cent), maize
(31 per cent) and canola (27 per cent), with 146 cases of maize at the time
having been approved in 35 countries, with key traits being insect resistance
and herbicide tolerance.
Today, the number of countries that have adopted biotech,
including in Africa has grown.
For instance, in South Africa, about 80 per cent of maize is
currently genetically modified, and this has helped improve yields immensely
since the early 2000s.
“Biotechnology when responsibly applied offers practical
solutions, from drought-tolerant crops to pest-resistant varieties that reduce
losses and dependence on costly inputs,” Bayer East Africa managing director
John Kanyingi told the Star.
Kenya has been spending at least Sh500 billion annually on food
imports, including maize and wheat, with hunger continuing to sentence hundreds
of people and animals to death every time a drought strikes.
Kenya's annual maize requirement stands at 52 million bags —
covering human consumption, livestock feed manufacturing and seed
multiplication, but production remains only at around 37 million bags,
forcing the country to import.
Demand is expected to hit 85 million bags (90kg) by 2050,
according to Kalro.
Experts say that bridging the gap, mainly on trust and adoption of
GMO by countries like Kenya, will require more than policy approvals.
It will demand transparent communication, farmer education and
inclusive dialogue that addresses public concerns without dismissing them, they
say.
“No single actor can transform food systems alone. Governments,
the private sector, NGOs, academia, and farmers each plays a role,”
Kalro’s Karanja says. “Policies must enable scaling while safeguarding health,
environment and farmer rights.”
Kenya as of August last year had lost about $157 million
(Sh20.3 billion) in five years due to delays in adopting three genetically
modified crops — Bt maize, Bt cotton, and a late blight disease-resistant
potato, researchers reported.
The government has reiterated its commitment to the safety of GMOs
through a robust biosafety regulatory and institutional framework, and proven
scientific research on various products.
Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe said the Cabinet’s decision was aimed
at addressing food security challenges, hastened by prolonged droughts, and
enhancing agricultural productivity through biotechnology.
