Kenyan Governors Call for Lifting of GMO Ban

Kenyan Govenors have asked the government to adopt the use of Genetically Modified Organisms to enhance productivity and fight food insecurity in the country.

The members of the Health and Biotechnology Committee in the Council of Governors recently said food problem will be a thing of the past if GMO foods are authorised.

“Science guides innovation and implementation and I believe the ban imposed was not based on any fact. It was some reaction and even the task force formed is a waste of tax payers' money. This technology should be adopted especially in agriculture,” said the chairman of the committee and Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma.

He was speaking at the Safari Club Hotel during a press conference by governors on agriculture and food security.

Ranguma said the technology has successfully been applied in developed countries.

Former President Mwai Kibaki directed the then public health minister Beth Mugo to ban import of GMOs until the country is able to certify they have no negative impact on people’s health.

The governors said the use of the technology has shown no negative impact on the environment unlike other crops that are sprayed severally.

“I went to Burkina Faso and farmers who plant biotechnology cotton said the use of herbicides has reduced from 12 times to three times. They said the cost of production substantially went down so this is the way to go,” Ranguma said.

Director of Technical Services at the National Biosafety Authority Dorington Ogoyi  said biotechnology cotton has undergone various lab tests,confined field trials and safety assessment has to be done to ensure that it is safe for release.