Nairobi: Kenya has successfully completed National Performance Trials (NPTs) for genetically modified (GM) cassava, marking a significant step towards the crop's commercialisation. The trials, conducted in Kandara, Murang'a, Mtwapa, and Alupe, have demonstrated the crop's readiness to join genetically modified Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) maize, which is already approved for farming. However, ongoing court cases have impeded progress, maintaining a court-ordered suspension despite government efforts to promote GM crops.
According to Kenya News Agency, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) is navigating the legal landscape to make approved technologies available. The NBA also focuses on public education regarding GMO foods, regulatory safeguards, and informed consumer choices. During a media forum at KALRO Kandara, NBA acting CEO Dr. Ann Karimi emphasized the Authority's neutral stance on GMOs, highlighting their commitment to safety and addressing food insecurity amid climate challenges.
Karimi pointed out that Bt cotton is in use in several counties, and virus-resistant cassava has completed trials at multiple sites, including Kandara, Mtwapa, Alupe, and Kiboko, with varieties approved. Bt maize and GM potatoes are also in development. She stressed that the NBA's role includes countering misinformation that fuels negative perceptions about GMOs and expressed optimism that legal clearance could soon make cassava available to farmers.
Karimi highlighted Kenya's significant expenditure on food imports, stating that GMOs, along with irrigation and mechanisation, are crucial solutions to food insecurity. She assured that adopting GM foods is voluntary, offering an alternative rather than imposing GMOs on Kenyans. To enhance GMO surveillance at borders, the NBA plans to expand its operations from eight to 24 border offices over the next few years, targeting locations like Isebania and Moyale to improve import monitoring.
Julia Njagi, Deputy Director-In-Charge of biosafety licensing, monitoring, and surveillance, noted cassava's declining supply due to diseases, which GM technology aims to combat. She explained that the technology 'immunises' cassava against viruses like Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD), potentially preventing up to 100 percent yield losses. Njagi clarified that the technology does not alter cyanide levels in cassava but focuses on disease protection.
The NBA operates within a robust regulatory framework, ensuring thorough trial assessments for food safety, environmental safety, and socioeconomic factors. Njagi stressed the importance of public awareness and participation in evaluating GMO safety, mandated by law and prioritised by the Authority.
The application for GM cassava was initially approved by the NBA in 2013 for research under confined field trials by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). These trials spanned over a decade before data submission for environmental release consideration. Following NBA review, approval was granted for the next stage, leading to the completion of National Performance Trials over two seasons, with varieties targeting CMD and CBSD now awaiting official release.
In collaboration with agencies such as KEBS, KRA, and KEPHIS, the NBA conducts GMO surveillance to ensure compliance with the Biosafety Act, 2009. This process involves inspecting, sampling, and testing imported goods to verify that all GMO materials are authorised, properly labelled, and pose no risk to human health or the environment.