Azimio la Umoja one Leader Raila Odinga has vowed to lead political leaders in resting government’s attempt to import Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) maize into the country saying the move would disadvantage farmers in food-producing regions.
Speaking on Sunday, the five-time presidential hopeful said he will lead politicians from Rift Valley and other maize-producing regions to oppose the importation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
He said the lifting of a decade-long ban on the importation of GMO maize will expose Kenyans to health risks.
“We are afraid that the local market stocks will be full in the subsequent days due to the ongoing harvesting, the price will drop and the farmers themselves will not have a market for their maize. We will continue defending our farmers who spend a lot of money on cultivation, they have made a lot of efforts to cultivate,” he said.
The former Prime Minister also said there was no public participation contrary to constitutional requirements.
“We have therefore said that until the government takes care of the interests of our farmers, we will in one voice support the proposal from a section of Rift Valley leaders, that the government should not continue with the GMO importation plan into our markets, we absolutely reject it as Azimio,” he added.
The veteran politician quoted insufficient studies on the effects of GMO importation on small-scale farmers and the local food markets.
This came a day after the Trade and Investments CS Moses Kuria lifted the ban on GMOs, stating that Kenyans faced other issues that would cause death.Kuria opined that the move was intended to lessen the national food scarcity in light of the country’s present drought condition.
The government lifted the ban on GMO crops following a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto in October. Several leaders including Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and Narok’s Ledama Olekina opposed the lifting on the ban of the GMOs.
The ban on GMO imports was enforced in 2012 following a presidential decree by former President Mwai Kibaki after recommendations by the then Minister for Public Health Beth Mugo.
Beth cited a study by a French University that linked cancer in rats to the consumption of genetically modified foods.
BY STACY ODHIAMBO