Posted on May, 20, 2025 at 07:33 pm
A group of eight non-governmental organizations now want the Government to publicize a list of chemicals that it deemed hazardous and banned early this month.
And while lauding Agricultural CS Mutahi Kagwe for slapping a ban on 50 pesticide products from the Kenyan market, the group also called for enactment of an effective regulatory framework to check future infiltration of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) into the country.
The group stressed that if effectively implemented, the directive by Kagwe will go a long way in safeguarding human health Kenya’s ecological integrity in line with global best practices, as stipulated by the FAO and WHO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management.
“We, the undersigned, commend the Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, for the bold announcement to ban over 50 pesticide products from the Kenyan market on May 7 2025, by Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development.” read the joint statement.
The statement was dated May 15 this year and signed by The Route to Food Initiative (RTFI), Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (biba Kenya) and Consumer Grassroots Association (CGA).
“We are hopeful that the list of 50 pesticide products targeted by the ban will be made public and will include the highly hazardous and widely used active ingredients long identified as a priority for regulatory action.
These include Mancozeb, Paraquat, Glyphosate, Carbendazim, and several synthetic pyrethroids such as Lambda-cyhalothrin, Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin and others. “These pesticides are extensively applied across Kenya’s staple and export-oriented crops and have repeatedly been documented to pose significant acute and chronic effects,” the statement further read.
Others who signed the joint statement include Resources Oriented Development Initiatives (ROD), Community Organization and Training for Risk Reduction (COTTR), Kenya Parliamentary Human Rights Association (KEPHRA) and Center for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD).
In addition, the NGOs noted there had been inaction in the implementation of past regulations on toxic pesticides control which they blamed on lack of proper enforcement policies and invested commercial interests.
The team nevertheless hailed Parliament for revisiting a 2029 petition on reviewing the withdrawal of hazardous pesticides from the Kenyan market.
“We remain deeply concerned that several pesticide products, previously flagged for phase-out and scheduled to be withdrawn from the Kenyan market by 31st December 2024, remain openly available and in circulation.
The continued presence and sale of these hazardous products undermines human health and environmental safety and erodes public confidence in regulatory enforcement mechanisms. It is essential that past withdrawal deadlines are respected and that previously identified hazardous pesticides are entirely removed from the market to ensure regulatory integrity,” said the civil societies.
The lobbyists also called for a shift to other environmentally friendly pest control methods which will not only promote sustainable agricultural production but also safeguard both human and environmental health.
They are also advocating for dissemination of safe agro ecological practices to farmers through extension field trainings, farmers field schools and cooperative networks to ensure greater reach.
“Recognizing the agricultural dependency on certain pesticides, we advocate for a withdrawal strategy combined with the promotion of safer, effective alternatives—including Integrated Pest Management (IPM), bio pesticides, and agro ecological approaches. Supporting registration and approval of safer alternatives is critical to ensure farmers access quality alternatives,” they added.
In October 2023 KOAN), biba, and RTFI had called for a united approach by stakeholders in the agricultural sector in order to come up with an effective panacea on the use of HHPs in the country.
The trio, while admitting then efforts which were being undertaken towards protecting the safety of crops in regard to the use of pesticides in the county had argued that such efforts should bring more players on board.
“A collaborative effort among regulatory bodies, farmers, environmentalists and civil society is crucial to finding a balanced and sustainable approach to pesticide use, especially concerning the use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Kenya,” read a joint press statement from the trio.
“We agree that the responsible use and handling of pesticides are essential. However, we must acknowledge that the responsibility for safe pesticide use is beyond the farmers’ ability. Required mitigation measures like buffer zones to safeguard communities or water resources often can’t be implemented. Beyond the responsibility of the farmer, pesticide companies should also play an essential role in ensuring the safe use, disposal and handling of their products through extended producer responsibility (EPR).” continued the statement.
And on September 13 last year RTFI released a report detailing how the majority of Kenyans were consuming foods laced with HHPs posing a threat to their overall wellbeing.
The report Toxic Business; Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Kenya, which was a program of the Heinrich Böll Foundation identified maize, wheat, coffee, potatoes, kales and tomatoes as consumers of the largest volumes of pesticides heavily laced with HHPs.
Accordingly, the crops which form the bulk of the country’s food sources were said to be exposed to a range of toxic substances posing a threat to both consumers and the environment.
Further, according to the 40-page report which was issued by Heinrich Böll Foundation Country Director Joachim Paul, only six out of 310 pesticides in use in the country could be qualified as bio pesticides (derived from natural materials such as plant and animal products and therefore considered safe), accounting for a paltry 2 per cent of the total pesticide volume.
“Common food items in Kenya households such as Maize, wheat, coffee, potatoes,
kales and tomatoes require the largest volumes of pesticides, with a heavy reliance
on HHPs. These crops are exposed to a range of toxic substances, posing significant threats to both consumers and the environment,” read the report’s findings.
“Only six out of the 310 pesticide products used in Kenya are bio pesticides, accounting for a mere 2 per cent of the total pesticide volume. Meanwhile, Highly Hazardous Pesticides account for a shocking 76 per cent of the total volume used. This huge disparity indicates the urgent need to promote bio pesticides.” the report added further.
But responding to the report later, Pest Control Products Board (PBCB) and aak/GROW Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPC Kenya) faulted the findings insisting the State had ever been keen in ensuring pesticides landing in the country do not impair the health of man, beast and environment.
The board also clarified that only insecticides that meet the required Maximum Residue Level (MRLs) are allowed into the country.
MRLs is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue on food or feed of plant and animal origin that is legally tolerated.
“Ensuring consumer and pesticide user safety is our top priority. Food safety is key during approval of pesticides that is why Maximum Residue Levels are required,” said PCPB then acting CEO Fredrick Muchiri.
“The Route to Food initiative report is not factual. Ban means total ban on manufacture and use. You cannot ban a pesticide and continue producing for other people,” he said.
The official similarly defended the use of pesticides in the country saying they do play a crucial role in safeguarding crop production by combating pests and disease-causing agents
But KOAN, RTFI and biba claimed there was a need to follow a hazard assessment for registering very toxic pesticides (WHO 1a, WHO 1b, and so-called CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproduction toxic pesticides)) as a matter of urgency.
The NGOs say such hazard assessments should focus on the inherent properties of pesticides, regardless of their use patterns.
“It is essential to strike a balance between risk and hazard assessments to ensure comprehensive safety, as many of the Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHP) mentioned in the recently launched report Toxic Business: Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Kenya are very toxic, for example, beta-cyfluthrin. We agree that the responsible use and handling of pesticides are essential.” they pointed out.
“However, we must acknowledge that the responsibility for safe pesticide use is beyond the farmers’ ability. Required mitigation measures like buffer zones to safeguard communities or water resources often can’t be implemented. Beyond the responsibility of the farmer, pesticide companies should also play an essential role in ensuring the safe use, disposal and handling of their products through extended producer responsibility (EPR),” explained the joint statement.
But in response to PCPB’s stance on importation of pesticides currently flagged in Europe, the NGOs had remarked that the products under question had been outlawed due to their health risk to both humans and the environment.
They therefore called for exploration of friendlier means of food production that rely less on agrochemicals and also guarantee bumper harvests and access to safe food for the country.
“We encourage PCPB to explore sustainable pest management alternatives that prioritize both crop protection and the long-term health of Kenyan farmers and consumers, and the environment. We would like to emphasize that most of the pesticides that are banned in Europe are withdrawn from the market because of their unacceptable risk towards the environment and human health and not because of less pest pressure.” the trio stressed.
“We would also like to emphasize that a system change of agricultural production is necessary and not just a substitution from one pesticide to the other, to achieve safe food in an enabling environment,” added the report.
Among pesticides ingredients considered highly toxic and commonly used by farmers in the country include chlorpyrifos, acetochlor, glyphosate, 2,4-D, mancozeb and chlorothalonil.
Active ingredients, such as bifenthrin, dichlorvos, diazinon, carbaryl, fipronil,
thiamethoxam, and carbendazim, have already been outlawed in Europe.
Source: KNA