Nairobi: The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) and African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) have underscored the need to step up public awareness on adoption of modern biotechnology in the country.
According to Kenya News Agency, NBA acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ann Karimi, and AATF Executive Director, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, expressed concern that the debate on the adoption of biotechnology has been marred by misinformation and disinformation. During a meeting at NBA Headquarters in Nairobi, Dr. Karimi announced that the Authority will initiate an aggressive public awareness campaign across the country, starting with Kakamega County this month, to help citizens understand the NBA’s mandate as a GMO regulator in Kenya.
Dr. Karimi emphasized the importance of providing the public with accurate information to enable informed decision-making. She highlighted that several African countries, including South Africa and Nigeria, have made significant strides in embracing GMOs, and Kenya should not lag behind. Dr. Karimi also acknowledged AATF’s support in promoting research in modern biotechnology and expressed optimism about strengthening the partnership through ongoing collaborations.
Dr. Kanangire commended the collaboration with NBA and reaffirmed AATF’s commitment to supporting joint initiatives, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture. He noted that numerous countries globally, including Brazil, have enhanced food production through modern biotechnology and urged Kenyans to follow suit. He also mentioned Rwanda and Tanzania as African countries showing interest in adopting modern biotechnologies for improved food production and research.
Dr. Kanangire stressed the importance of moving beyond boardroom discussions to increase field-based engagement, allowing farmers and stakeholders to directly experience and appreciate biotechnology practices. He expressed support for “seeing is believing” initiatives to facilitate knowledge sharing on modern biotechnologies among various countries.
The Executive Director also raised concerns about ongoing court cases related to GMOs, which he sees as hindrances to research activities in the country.
The meeting also included notable attendees such as Dr. Roy Mugiira, a Senior Programs Officer at AATF, Mr. Josphat Muchiri, acting Director of Biosafety Assessment, Awareness and Collaborations at NBA, Mr. Moses Sande, Director of Legal Services at NBA, and Mr. Abed Mathagu, Manager of the Rwanda Agri-Biotech Project (RABP) and Programme Officer for Regulatory Affairs.
