Members of the National Assembly's Agriculture and Livestock Committee have urged the government to allow the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) to recruit more technical staff to enable it to undertake its mandate of regulating Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) activities effectively in the Country.
The committee led by the Vice Chairperson, Mr Yegon Brighton Leonard Mp Konoin, together with Wajir West MP Farah Yussuf Mohamed and Soy MP David Kiplagat, said that the NBA should engage the national government to seek an exemption from the current freeze on the public recruitment process.
Kiplagat said that the first aid of protecting the health and safety of Kenyans is important and should be given priority over administrative restrictions.
"The safety of Kenyans is important when it comes to issues of GMOs, and it comes first. Therefore, a circular can be reviewed once you reach out to the government and explain your case," he said.
NBA acting Chief Executive Officer Nehemiah Ngetich said the Authority is facing a serious staff shortage.
He revealed that although the organisation is supposed to have 106 employees, it currently has only 56 staff members.
He called on the MPs to support the Authority’s request for more resources to enable it to discharge its mandate across all 24 border entry points in the Country.
He said that the NBA has already expanded its services to key border points such as Mombasa, Busia, Namanga, Malaba, Lunga Lunga, and Taita Taveta.
He also added that plans are underway to expand further into other entry points, including Moyale and Isebania, to strengthen its regulatory oversight and also in Mandera and Lwakhakha border offices in the next financial year.
“We want to assure Kenyans that the Authority is up to the task of regulating GMOs and that Kenyans are safe since there is a legal and regulatory framework in place to ensure their safety,” Ngetich quoted.
The acting Director of Technical Services, Mr Josphat Muchiri, said that the Authority has increased its inspections in supermarkets and at the borders of the Country to ensure that there are no unregulated GMO products in the market.
He also added that the NBA is working with the government by training biosafety champions to educate the public about the safety of GMOs and biosafety issues. “The Authority is also working with County governments across the Country. This involves training of biosafety champions across the Country to ensure that Kenyans understand the issues of biosafety,” said Mr Muchiri.
On plans to merge the NBA with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS), Director Legal Services, Mr Moses Sande, said the Authority remains independent because it was established under an international protocol and therefore it should remain distinct.
“The NBA regulates GMOs in crops, animals and the environment, while KEPHIS's focus is on seeds. We are engaging all relevant stakeholders to convince the government of the need to retain NBA,” said Sande.
He explained that while KEPHIS mainly regulates seeds, the NBA oversees GMOs in crops, animals and the environment.
The committee also toured the Authority's laboratory to observe how GMO testing is carried out. During the visit, officials highlighted recent achievements, including a service level agreement signed with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA)and National Biosafety Authority (NBA) to work together to enhance efficiency in the sea cargo clearance.
The NBA-KRA service level agreement (SLA) for sea cargo clearance will enable the two institutions to serve their clients effectively.
“The development of this Agreement (SLA) has been a journey that has taken over two years, and today marks a significant milestone, not just for the National Biosafety Authority but also for Kenya and all government entities involved in trade facilitation. The greatest beneficiaries of this achievement will be the traders, who are the backbone of our economy,” said Mr Ngetich.
NBA has achieved a major milestone in the automation of its services as all customer-facing services related to GMO applications and related functions have been fully automated via the e-Citizen and KENTRADE platforms, making its services faster and more efficient.
The National Biosafety Authority is established under the Biosafety Act, CAP 320, with the mandate to exercise general supervision and control over the transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms to ensure the safety of human and animal health and the provision of an adequate level of protection of the environment.
