By Lenah Bosibori
Kenya’s Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) has raised concerns about the growing misinformation surrounding pesticide use in the country saying that it has led to negative consequences for the country’s fresh exports.
Fredrick Muchiri, CEO PCPB while speaking to editors and journalists in Nairobi during the Truth matters event said that in the recent past a lot of misleading information about pesticide use in Kenya has affected the country’s reputation as a net exporter of fresh produce export in the European Union market.
“In recent times, there has been a lot of misleading information about pesticide use in Kenya. This misinformation is affecting our reputation as a net exporter of fresh produce, especially in markets like the EU, where it has led to increased scrutiny on our exports. Unfortunately, the information being used to justify these measures is not based on facts,” said Muchiri.
Muchiri adds that Kenya’s pesticide regulation system is one of the most advanced in the region, noting that the country has highly trained scientists both locally and internationally educated.
“Kenya leads the East African Community (EAC) in pesticide risk assessment, and neighboring countries often visit to learn from Kenya’s methods,” said Muchiri.
Muchiri clarified that when a product is banned in the European Union (EU), it does not necessarily mean the product is unsafe. “A ban in the EU often means that the country of registration no longer requires the product, but it may still be safe and useful in other countries.”
According to Muchiri, the European Union (EU) is simply a collection of 27 member countries and does not make decisions for the entire world. “If a product is banned globally, then we can consider withdrawing it from our market. However, a ban within the EU does not automatically warrant the same action in Kenya,” he stated.
“Kenya stands out when it comes to pesticide regulation, not just in East Africa but across the continent. The standards we follow are equivalent with the ones in Canada.” Adds Muchiri. “Our risk assessments before authorizing pesticide use are unmatched in Africa, and many EAC nations come to Kenya to learn how we do it.”
He further explained that Kenya’s pesticide regulatory framework is benchmarked against globally recognized regulators like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Canada, and Australia.
“The Pest Control Products Act, currently under review, was originally borrowed word for word from Canada. The review is aimed at aligning it with Kenya’s 2010 Constitution and addressing global challenges related to pests and pesticide use,” added Muchiri.
The revised bill also includes measures to control the quality of food imported from neighboring countries, where banned pesticides in Kenya may still be in use. “We have prohibited certain products in Kenya, but they are still being used by some of our neighbors. Our revised Bill ensures that no produce containing such banned substances can be imported into Kenya,” he added.
Muchiri also addressed the issue of pesticide misuse among Kenyan farmers, particularly in counties where agricultural extension services have been developed but remain ineffective.
“There is a lack of extension officers in most counties because agriculture is devolved, this has left farmers to guess how to use pesticides. In some cases, farmers are misusing herbicides by using them to dry crops, unaware that they are harming the produce and creating potential health risks,” reiterated Muchiri.
He cautioned that the abuse of herbicides, such as using Roundup (which contains glyphosate) for purposes other than what they are registered for, could result in contaminated food. “Roundup is safe when used as directed, but if it’s misused for example, to dry maize you are essentially consuming the herbicide,” Muchiri explained.
Erick Kimunguyi CEO aak-GROW CropLife Kenya highlighted the challenge of reaching Kenya’s millions of smallholder farmers, many of whom are fragmented into small groups.
“Crop protection faces a lot of criticism due to misinformation. Our farmers are suffering because they are not receiving accurate information on pesticide use,” he said.
Kimunguyi also raised concerns about new pests threatening Kenyan agriculture, such as the false codling moth, which has the potential to severely impact the flower exports to the EU.
The agriculture stakeholders stressed that innovation in pest control and better communication between the national and county governments are necessary to address these challenges and safeguard Kenya’s agricultural sector.