GMO Technology Gathers Conflicts in Kenya as Groups Dares Gov't

By Billy Mutai

The recent assent of the BioSafty Bill 2008 seeking to allow use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country already gathers questions despite its thought benefits of resolving the biting country’s food shortage.

Civil groups and farmers associations dismiss the move noting it spells doom to country’s farming, local and international market, environment and human health.

The question on citizen’s knowledge on GMOs calls a distress as the praised country’s culture and religious practices could be left in a balance after complete seal on the BioSafty Bill by the President.

Farmers associations, civil societies, environmentalists and health scientists have hit the streets crying foul of legislators who have already seen the bill run through the parliament. This has left local farmers and consumers at the organism’s peril.

Despite pressure by civil groups to send the bill to the parliament or reject it altogether, religious and cultural face of indigenes plants and animals could be altered following the signing of bill seeking to control use of GMOs in the country.

And the farmers will only be left with an option of subscribing to Genetically Modified Seeds deeming availability of Genetically Modified Foods in the supermarkets as well as restructure both national and international market.

Farmers, consumers and business persons have been kept under the carpet on the biological and economical limitation behind the GMOs with legislators thought to protect their constituents at all levels rushing through the bill without considering the citizens knowledge on the organisms. Civilians are not educated on organism’s long term effects. Political interests overtook the flip side of the organisms irrespective of strings attached.

Recently, Members of Parliament were heavily criticized of rushing in ‘bad’ laws ignoring the stakeholders and more importantly; the Mwananchi’s uproar. Like the Kenya Communication Amendment Act (2008), the BioSafty Bill 2008 is claimed to have denied civilian’s full consent as it is enlisted among the laws of the land.

Just by being nosy, I dear asked a farmer on his knowledge of GMOs and surprisingly he was not aware of passing of the BioSafty Bill 2008. This further prompted me inquire from a university student, but unexpectedly, he went green not even his higher knowledge allowed him the basic knowledge of GMOs.

According to GMOs specialist, the Modified Organisms involve picking of genes from one species and implanting them to different species meaning that animal gene can be transferred to the plants and the vice-a-versa and otherwise going against the laws of nature.

With an aim of improving agricultural production, GMOs specialists have gone an extra mile of amplifying nature in bid of providing farmers maximum benefits but dietricians and health scientists are in contrary noting that consumption and exposure to the pool of GMOs leads to long term human ailments including respiratory problems, hormonal imbalance, infertility, cancer among other catastrophic effects.

Despite protests by various civil groups and farmers organizations, the legislators sought to pass the bill transferring pig’s gene into maize plant in the name of improving yields and keeping abreast of global trends.

In their bid to allow the introduction of GMOs, the political class insisted that the organisms would improve agricultural production but failed to understand that GMOs only gives 12 p.c improvements leaving behind vast disastrous effects. They had forgotten the biting issues including the soaring fertilizer prizes, and even simple irrigation strategies and instead sought to back up the global trend otherwise overlooking the GMO outburst and its lasting effects.

Environment is neither speared, bearing in mind the modified organisms are brand new in a given environment; they demand space thus wiping out the natural organism in what environmentalist term Species Loss. At the same, the organisms cause genetic contamination as well as desertification.

GMO introduction could be timely even in the wake of global food crisis but the question begs on the flip side of the organisms. In contrary, MPs including the Imenti North legislator Silas Ruteere puts the organisms on question insisting the introduction of GMOs is not a solution to recurring food crisis but only a blanket to the ‘big fish’. This will only allow the politicians loopholes in the Agricultural sector as they sought collaboration with international multibillion institutions in manipulating country’s back born to siphon the benefits at expense of poor Kenyans.

In his argument, the Imenti North legislator warned that introduction of GMOs is only opening one door and closing another.

Even as higher institutes of learning and research institutions seam to give guidelines on the modified organisms, they again leave civilians with ‘fear of unknown’. Intrigues and counter intrigues take political twists as country’s universities contradict over the use of the modified organisms.

In India , GMOs were allowed in country’s agricultural sector in a bid of averting food crisis but it all vanished leaving the Indians with regrets.

While England rejected the GMOs in 2003/2004, Agricultural production in India was then dictated by multibillion companies ruling out production and market strategies.

Introduction of GMOs in Kenya could also be sending horticultural products to disarray as European market now rejects the genetically modified products.

As this sounds a warning to country’s agricultural sector, the Americans who bragged of topping the list of those embraced the technology; they are now resorting to natural products.

At a recent function, former President added to the outcry calling on politicians to tread softly on the BioSafty Bill as this can spell tragedy to the indigenous cultural setup, environment, human health and religious aspects.

While health specialists note that GMO foods cause catastrophic illnesses, Daniel Arap Moi noted that GMOs practice derails religious and the long built culture.

As 95 pc of country’s horticultural products risk loosing the European market, Mexico burnt the modified products January this year.

Political analysts have been on a dig out mission and have unearthed some politicians having received handshake by international companies to allow the GMO bill sail through the parliament.

Both national and international civil groups further noted that politicians are now colluding with foreign companies in bringing on board the modified products to serve their own interests at the expense of Wananchi.