The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has announced plans to open three regional offices a month after lifting the ban on genetically modified organisms and their derived products.
The new offices will be situated at Malaba in Busia County, Lunga Lunga in Kwale County and Taita Taveta (Holili) in Taita Taveta County.
Acting Chief executive officer Mr Nehemiah Ngetich told a session with students from National Defence College that the move is to intended to ensure that no GMOs and their derived products enter the country without the approval of the Authority.
Last month the High Court dismissed a case against the lifting of a ban on GMOs and their derived products re-affirming the Cabinet decision that lifted the ban on GMOs of October 3, 2022 that Kenya has a robust legal and institutional framework to regulate GMOs.
Currently the Authority has three regional offices at major entry points, Mombasa, Busia and Namanga.
“We are going to engage apparatus in dealing with importers and dealers of GMOs and their derived products who violate the law,” said Mr Ngetich.
He disclosed that the country has about 24 entry points and therefore needs more resources to hire at least 48 officers to man the borders.
The delegation from National Defence College was led by Major -General Y.S Abdi who underscored the role of the Authority in creating awareness about genetically modified organisms.
The students who are from various African countries are training at the institution.
On the status of environmental release approvals, Mr Ngetich said Bt cotton was commercialised in 2020 and approximately 10,000 acres are under cultivation in Eastern, Central, Western and Nyanza Regions.
“Food security is a national security issue because it is a primary responsibility of the government to protect its citizens from all threats, including food insecurity. The Authority’s role is to facilitate approvals of safe biotech crops, animal breeds that are resistant to pests and diseases and lead to increased food production,” said Mr Ngetich.
He disclosed that the Authority is now seeking review of the Biosafety Act to cover emerging technologies related to GMOs such as genome editing, gene-drives technologies, synthetic biology, biosecurity and pharmaceuticals.
The Authority has since assured Kenyans in general of the safety of the GMOs and their derived products in the country.
The Authority has already approved the commercialisation of Bt Cotton, which has been in cultivation since 2020 and no adverse effects have been noted or reported through the Authority’s monitoring and surveillance system.
“Other crops such as Bt maize and virus resistant cassava are at advanced stages of variety testing towards their commercialisation,” Mr. Ngetich added.
He said Kenya has a well-established legal, regulatory and institutional framework which provides for streamlined processes for persons dealing in GMOs and their derived products in the country.
Mr Ngetich said the framework outlines specific application requirements, safety assessment procedures and monitoring mechanisms which align to Kenya’s commitment to food safety, environmental protection and the socio-economic wellbeing of its citizens.
The Authority’s scope includes genetically modified plants, genetically modified animals, animal inputs including veterinary vaccines and genetically modified microorganisms.
Mr Ngetich observed that the Authority has a mandate to exercise general supervision and control over the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with a view of ensuring safety of human and animal health and provision of adequate level of protection of the environment.
“Kenya is a member of the international community and is a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety which is a multilateral environmental agreement whose objective is to ensure an adequate level of protection in the safe transfer, handling and use of GMOs.
At the national level, Kenya approved the National Biotechnology Development Policy in 2006, enacted the Biosafety Act in 2009 and has so far published four Biosafety Regulations namely; the Biosafety (Contained use) Regulations, 2011; the Biosafety (Environmental Release) Regulations, 2011; the Biosafety (Import, Export, and Transit) Regulations, 2011; and the Biosafety (Labelling) Regulations, 2012.
The Authority is also tasked with the role of creating public awareness to educate Kenyans on GMO foods, including regulatory safeguards, and the importance of informed consumer choice.
NBA has so far published four regulations namely; Biosafety (contained Use) regulations, 2011, Biosafety (import, export and transit) regulations, 2011, Biosafety (environmental release) regulations, 2011 and Biosafety (labeling) regulations 2012.
The Authority’s role fits well with the government agenda, the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) focusing on agricultural transformation and inclusive growth, transforming the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) economy among others.
Some of the strides that have been made by the Authority include, development and publication of necessary Biosafety regulations to support operations and mandates of the Authority.
The Authority’s core mandate targets to raise public awareness on biosafety to facilitate adoption of biotechnology to enhance agri-productivity and climate change mitigation; develop a Reference GMO testing Laboratory to ensure safety of human and animal health and protection of the environment;
Others include, conduct monitoring and surveillance of GMOs to ensure safety of human and animal health and protection of the environment; enhance the ease of doing business and trade across borders to facilitate expeditious Biosafety clearance of cargo at border post and ports of entry; and Science, technology and innovation mainstreaming to facilitate the generation of new knowledge through research.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a