Awendo: The Kenya Peasants League (KPL) has intensified its campaign for the promotion of indigenous seeds while maintaining its opposition to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), ahead of a crucial court judgment scheduled for April 24, 2026. The KPL had previously appealed against the High Court ruling of November 2024 that allowed the lifting of the GMO ban.

According to Kenya News Agency, the KPL argued that the lifting of the ban lacked sufficient public participation on crucial issues like the preservation of seed sovereignty. The government, on the other hand, had argued that GMO adoption was crucial for food security and lowering the cost of animal feeds.

Speaking during a seed festival hosted by the Utoma Widows Food Cooperative in Awendo Sub-County, Cidi Otieno, a Kenya Peasants League Representative who led the delegation, emphasised the importance of preserving traditional seed systems and reducing reliance on commercial and hybrid seed varieties. Otieno stated that KPL has been organising seed festivals across the country to raise awareness and revive indigenous seed varieties.

The initiative aims to establish community seed banks to ensure access, preservation, and exchange of indigenous seeds. Otieno elaborated that promoting indigenous seeds within the community will help them avoid buying seeds every planting season, improve the safe consumption of food, and preserve the African culture of community seed banks. 'We want to revive the usage of planting indigenous seeds, and create community seed banks that will supply farmers with seeds to plant every season,' said Otieno.

He expressed optimism that the two levels of government would support the KPL to establish community seed banks at the grassroots level to promote food security. The official also cited a recent court ruling that declared sections of the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act unconstitutional, particularly those restricting farmers from sharing seeds. The Seeds and Plant Varieties Act (Cap 326), revised in 2016, regulates seed quality, certification, and marketing to ensure farmers have access to high-quality seeds. However, in 2025, the High Court declared unconstitutional provisions of the Act that criminalised the saving, use, exchange, and sale of indigenous and farm-saved seeds.

Silvanus Kacity, a member of the Kenya Peasants League, noted that they will support the introduction of food cooperatives among farmer groups across the country to promote food business and storage. He added that indigenous food is beneficial for human health, providing nourishment that cushions individuals against modern food-related diseases.