NAIROBI, Kenya, May 12 – The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has lined up a series of engaged with County governments in the Country as it seeks to strengthen public education and combat widespread misinformation around genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
On Monday, the team from the Authority will be in Machakos for public awareness before heading to Trans -Nzoia County on Wednesday and Busia County on Thursday.
Already, the Authority has held engagements in Vihiga,Nandi , Bungoma, Kisii, Homa Bay, Bomet among others. More Counties are set for such engagements with the Authority next financial year.
Speaking during the launch of NBA Strategic Plan 2023–27 on Monday last week, Agriculture Principal Secretary Kipronoh Ronoh underscored the importance of creating public awareness on biosafety and GMO-related science, especially among farmers and consumers, noting that many remain skeptical or misinformed about the safety and benefits of biotechnology.
The Strategic Plan outlines key measures to enhance public awareness and education on biosafety.
in line with its mandate, the Authority has identified eight Key Result Areas (KRAs) in the Strategic plan which are: public Awareness and Education on Biosafety; dynamic Laws and Institutional Policies on Biosafety; biosafety assessments; compliance and enforcement; biosafety information management; international partnerships and collaborative engagement in the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; infrastructural and operational efficiency; and human resource management.
“The Authority has accelerated the decentralization of its services to regions such as Mombasa, Busia, Namanga, Malaba, Lunga lunga and Taita Taveta, and we look forward to opening six more border offices in this period of the Strategic Plan,” added the Authority’s Board of Director Chairman Prof Jenesio Kinyamario.
The Authority is mandated to exercise general supervision and control over the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
This is done with a view to ensuring the safety of human and animal health, and the provision of an adequate level of protection of the environment.
“This is achieved through among the application of both international and national standards on safety assessments. The Authority is guided by the provisions of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Biotechnology Policy, the Biosafety Act and a set of Biosafety Regulations,” added acting Chief Executive officer Mr. Nehemiah Ngetich.
It is also important to note that the Authority is Kenya’s National Focal Point for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the global biosafety regulatory framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Ngetich reiterated that 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.
