GMOs: Kenya to Host Regional Reference Molecular Laboratory
By Duncan Mboyah
Kenya is constructing a regional reference molecular laboratory to help Eastern African countries in handling and using Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh, Principal Secretary, State Department for Agriculture in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, said that the laboratory will be used to supervise the transfer of GMOs within the region.
“The Laboratory will help promote safety of human and animal health and provision of adequate protection of the environment in the adoption of GMOs in the eastern Africa region,” Ronoh said during the launch of the national Biosafety Authority strategic plan for the year 2023 – 2027 in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi.
Dr. Ronoh said that Kenya has a robust legal, regulatory, and institutional capacity to ensure and assure the safety of GMOs and their derived products.
He said that the strategic plan is a firm reflection of the government’s commitment to safeguarding human and animal health, protecting the environment, and fostering responsible innovation in modern biotechnology.
Dr. Ronoh added that Kenya has given fresh impetus to the application of modern biotechnology to enhance agricultural productivity in contributing to food and nutrition security.
Nehemiah Ngetich, chief executive officer of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) noted that Kenya is guided by the provisions of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Biotechnology Policy, the Biosafety Act and a set of Biosafety Regulations and the international standards on safety assessments.
He said that the plan is expected to position Kenya at a vantage point in facilitating the national ambition of the country becoming a key participant in the global biotechnology enterprise.
Prof. Jenesio Kinyamario, chairman of NBA, said that Kenya has established a GMO testing laboratory and also approved the commercialization of GM cotton, which is now being planted in about 20 counties across the Country, with positive impacts on the communities.
He further said that the East African nation has accelerated the decentralization of services to six border towns and also plans to open an additional six border offices by 2027.