NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 20 – Opposition Leader Raila Odinga has vowed to lead political leaders in resting government’s attempt to import GMO maize into the country saying the move would disadvantage farmers in food-producing regions.
Odinga who spoke on Sunday said he will lead politicians from Rift Valley and other maize producing regions to oppose importation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
He maintained the lifting of a decade-long ban on the importation of GMO maize will expose Kenyans to health risks.
“We are afraid that the local market stocks will be full in the subsequent days due to the ongoing harvesting, the price will drop and the farmers themselves will not have a market for their maize. We will continue defending our farmers who spend a lot of money on cultivation, they have made a lot of efforts to cultivate,” he said.
The opposition chief further said there was no public participation contrary to constitutional requirements.
“We have therefore said that until the government takes care of the interests of our farmers, we will in one voice support the proposal from a section of Rift Valley leaders, that the government should not continue with the GMO importation plan into our markets, we absolutely reject it as Azimio,” he added.
Odinga cited insufficient studies on the effects of GMO importation on small-scale farmers and the local food markets.
He was reacting to an announcement by Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria who said the government will allow duty-free imports of GMO and Non-GMO maize into the country for six months.
Kuria said the action was intended to lessen the national food scarcity in light of the country’s present drought condition.
The government lifted the ban on GMO crops following a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto in October.
Leaders opposed to the move include Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and Narok’s Ledama Olekina.
Activist lawyer Miguna Miguna also voiced opposition saying the move will lead to economic sabotage in the subsequent years to come.
The ban on GMO imports was enforced in 2012 following a presidential decree by former President Mwai Kibaki after recommendations by the then Minister for Public Health Beth Mugo.
Mugo cited a study by a French University that linked cancer in rats to the consumption of genetically modified foods.
The United States government in April 2022 protested Kenya’s reluctance to lift the GMO ban with the Joe Biden administration noting that the move was restricting its exports.
