The government through the ministry of Agriculture’s Pest Control Products Board is on the defensive mode after being accused of allowing harmful pesticides in the market.
- National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei and other leaders questioned the regulatory process of the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), claiming the board allows in the country products banned in other markets.
- The legislature claimed that some of the ingredients (glyphosate) in some of the pesticides is linked to cancer exposing many to the disease across the country.
- Glyphosate is found in products like Bayer’s Roundup, which the multinational company says helps farmers manage weeds effectively, which can lead to increased crop yields and reduced agricultural losses.
The deputy speaker also representing agriculture rich Uasin Gishu county as Women Representative claimed that Pesticides Atlas, a document developed by 20 Nairobi University scientists has confirmed that over 200 pesticide products that have been banned in Europe and America are in use in Kenya.
“The Pest Control Products Board is the one that is supposed to make the list of approved pesticides, the banned pesticides elsewhere are still in our market,” claimed Shollei.
Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) chief executive Fredrick Muchiri defended the approval process of products before use in the Kenyan market, terming the allegations misleading and intended to create fear among the Kenyan consumers.
He said the board is guided by Parliament Act to ensure products getting into the Kenyan market are safe for use.
“We took it seriously in 2019 when health issues were raised in the USA over the Glyphosate, there was no reason to withdraw pesticides made from glyphosate from our market because no evidence linking it to cancer,” he said adding that the Board scientists re-evaluated glyphosate last year and found no data linking it to cancer.
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