Bid to Remove Harmful Pesticides from Kenyan Market Gains Momentum

Over 12,000 Kenyans have signed a public petition demanding the removal of toxic pesticides in the country.

The petition ‘No More Poison In Our Food’ by Greenpeace Africa was submitted to the Uasin Gishu Woman Representative on Thursday, in an event held at Kipkenyo Primary School.

The signatures are in support of a Parliamentary petition tabled by the Woman Rep in 2019 seeking withdrawal of over 232 harmful chemical pesticides from the Kenyan market.

Speaking after receiving the petition, Gladys Boss Shollei said: “It is a tragedy that American and European companies continue to manufacture and export pesticides that are banned in their own countries. The African pesticide market remains small and only accounts for 2-4 percent of the global usage. That means our farmers, right here in Kenya, are the next big market for the sale of toxic pesticides. I have taken the responsibility as a legislator, to address this double standard and strengthen our regulatory framework to protect our farmer sovereignty and ecosystems.”

Greenpeace Africa reiterates its position that the food system in Kenya must be urgently protected for the sake of health and for the environment.

“Dangerous chemicals such as Chlorpyrifos that have been proven to cause neurodevelopment problems and impaired brain function in children are still used in Kenya to produce food. Additionally, some of these chemicals have been proven to contaminate the soil and water rendering them unsafe for human use. Our environment, health, and future generations are therefore at stake. The Kenyan government needs to act with urgency to protect Kenyans from the impacts of these detrimental chemicals,” said Greenpeace campaigner Claire Nasike.

Kenya’s food has been exposed to harmful agricultural chemicals posing a grave danger to the public health of Kenyans and the environment.

Through the petition to withdraw harmful chemical pesticides from the Kenyan market, Gladys Boss Shollei represented four civil organizations – Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA-K), Kenya Organic Agricultural Network (KOAN), Resources Oriented Development Initiatives (RODI), and the Route to Food Initiative (RTFI).

“It is possible to farm without toxic pesticides by incorporating agroecological practices and integrated pest management and still produce enough food while at the same time protecting the environment,” said Emmanuel Atamba, Researcher and Policy Analyst at RTFI.

Esther Bett, the Executive Director of RODI, on her part said; “evidence has exposed the harmful effects of pesticides to people and the environment and it is time Kenyans who produce food were immersed in alternative strategies to pest control. There is a need for farmers and consumers to take bold decisions and demand for the government to safeguard our food and farming systems”.