NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 15 — Kenya has completed national performance trials (NPTs) for genetically modified (GM) cassava varieties and is now awaiting approval for their commercial release, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has said.
NBA Acting Director of Technical Services Josphat Muchiri said the disease-resistant and drought-tolerant cassava varieties have passed the final agronomic performance tests and are ready for the next stage of regulatory approval.
“The cassava varieties are now awaiting commercialisation,” Muchiri said.
The GM cassava, developed by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), is engineered to resist Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD), a devastating viral infection that causes browning and malformation of the edible roots, and to withstand drought conditions.
Trial in Mtwapa, Kandara and Alupe
The national performance trials were conducted in Mtwapa, Kandara and Alupe, in a process aimed at boosting yields and strengthening food security ahead of full commercial release in Kenya and Uganda.
Muchiri said the National Biosafety Authority, whose mandate is to supervise and regulate the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is satisfied that the varieties meet safety and performance thresholds for human and animal health and environmental protection.
He said Kenya has already commercialised other GM crops, noting that Bt cotton was approved in 2020 and is currently grown on about 10,000 acres in Eastern, Central, Western and Nyanza regions.
Bt maize was approved for commercialisation in 2025, but its rollout remains suspended following High Court conservatory orders.
Drought tolerance
Muchiri explained that Bt maize is genetically modified to resist maize stalk borer and fall armyworm pests, while Bt cotton is engineered to resist the cotton bollworm.
He added that Kenya is also developing other GM crops, including cassava resistant to CBSD, herbicide-tolerant soybean and drought-tolerant maize varieties designed to withstand water stress.
Beyond crops, Muchiri noted that some GM animals have been approved in other countries, including GM mosquitoes in the United States and Brazil, GloFish for ornamental purposes in the US and Canada, and GM salmon in the same markets.
He said GMO research and development in Kenya is being undertaken at institutions including KALRO, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenyatta University, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
Muchiri revealed that the Authority’s mandate is set to expand to include biosecurity as a matter of national security, with the government currently reviewing a National Biosafety and Biosecurity Act.
He said the review will cover emerging technologies such as genome editing, synthetic biology and gene-drive technologies, which he described as potential security risks.
“National Biosafety Authority already acts as a frontline defence at various border entry points,” Muchiri said, adding that the Authority conducts border patrols, market surveillance and intelligence-led inspections to prevent the entry and circulation of unauthorised GM products.
“In line with this, quarterly market surveillance is carried out in shops and agro-dealers to ensure no unauthorised products have infiltrated the country through porous border points,” he said.
