Biosafety experts from public universities have assured Kenyans that the country has the capacity to regulate the safety of GMOs.
Dr Joel Ochieng, leader of agriculture biotechnology at the University of Nairobi, said on August 3, 2011, that the Parliament noted the capacity of Kenya to regulate GMOs and their safety.
He was speaking during a media briefing by biosafety experts from public universities. They were responding to Azimio leader Raila Odinga and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka's remarks on GMOs.
Ochieng said nobody is being forced to take GMOs but biosafety regulations including labelling of GMO products will help consumers make informed choices.
The secretary-general of the Kenya University Biotech Consortium [KUBICO] reiterated that Genetically modified (GM) whether locally produced or imported must be labelled.
He said GM technology is not the only option available in sorting out the food insecurity problems in the country.
"It is a complementary technology to all the others that exist. There are other traditional methods but with the persistent hunger in the country, we would want GM technology to complement the others. This is in a bid to bring down the cost of living and to enhance food availability and affordability," he said.
He explained that the maize we have in Kenya is genetically modified to express insect protection traits.
"It is made using a harmless soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis [Bt] that is in our environment and finds its way into our food systems daily and does not cause any harm when consumed," said the scientist.
He added that there is no single concern that has been raised anywhere regarding Bt maize.
He said the Bt maize variety that is meant for cultivation in Kenya has gone through performance trails.
"We use a bacterium with a known history of safety. It is very specific in its action, just like the malariaquin which only kills the plasmodium that causes malaria. The GM is specific, it helps improve yields and manages pest- specifically the stem borer pest which causes 60 per cent losses," Ochieng said.
