Mutula: State to protect, benefit from biodiversity

By Peter Orengo

The country is losing valuable biological and genetic materials due to weak laws.

Consequently, the Government is formulating legislation to protect the country’s biodiversity and attract investment in the sub-sector.

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo on Tuesday said the country, though rich in bio-diversity, had limited protection of intellectual property derived from biological intellectual assets.

This has resulted in bio-piracy or unethical bio-prospecting by foreigners who later own the intellectual rights.

"Kenya continues to lose its plants, animals and other resources within its protected areas due to scientific, technical, technological and financial barriers," said Kilonzo.

A case in point is when the University of Nairobi collaborated with Oxford University to develop a vaccine for HIV using commercial sex workers from Kenya. Although the country was the source of the genome used to develop the vaccine, it was never recognised.

Micro-organisms from Lake Bogoria and Lake Nakuru used to make washing powder and denim jeans wear are other oft-cited case of bio-piracy while intellectual rights for owning of Kiondo and Kikoyi products stolen by foreign companies have never been resolved.

Economic potentials

"We cannot afford to be bystanders while other nations are benefitting from these economic potentials," said Mutula, adding that some of the indigenous knowledge in biodiversity health, environmental conservation and food had largely been ignored.

The minister was speaking during the launch of the Bio-prospecting Strategy and Expert Dialogue for Effective Biodiversity Laws to attract investment, in Nairobi.

Planning minister Wycliffe Oparanya, in a speech read on his behalf by Mutula, said reforms within the bio-diversity sector was the only way the country could attract investment and conservation.

"Proper laws bring certainty and create opportunities for investment and better management of our vast resources. Effective legislations will also enhance planning and better resource use," said Oparanya.

He noted that a bio-prospecting strategy would make Kenya among the first countries in the world to have a roadmap after the Nagoya Protocol on international regime on access and benefit sharing.

This could also bring the country up to $900 billion annually.