Kenya backs 10-year East African regional biotechnology strategy

KENYA – Kenya has joined other East African Community (EAC) partner states in endorsing a new regional biotechnology strategy that seeks to ensure equitable access to biotechnology benefits, safeguard biodiversity, and strengthen public trust through education and awareness.

The strategy, developed by the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), aims to harmonise policies and regulatory frameworks across the region to address fragmented national approaches that hinder innovation and complicate cross-border trade. It will guide biotechnology development and application from 2026 to 2036.

During a validation workshop in Nairobi attended by delegates from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the USA and other partners, EASTECO Executive Secretary Dr Sylvance Okoth called on experts to fully incorporate stakeholder inputs into the strategy’s pillars.

“Let us help partner states lagging behind,” Dr Okoth urged during the three-day forum.

Josphat Muchiri, Acting Director for Biosafety Awareness, Assessment and Collaborations at the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), stressed that the 10-year plan would strengthen the adoption of safety and implementation standards across the region.

“As a country, we have been at the forefront of championing this strategy,” he said, adding that Kenya has already formed a multi-secretariat committee to implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, with the NBA serving as the national focal point.

The NBA, established under the Biosafety Act Cap 320, is mandated to regulate all genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Kenya, whether approved, illegal or unintended. It promotes public awareness on biosafety, operates a Biosafety Clearing House to exchange scientific and legal information, and enforces laboratory quality standards such as ISO 20387:2018 for biobanking and ISO 35001:2019 for biorisk management through the Kenya National Accreditation Service (KENAS).

Kenya has approved trials for genetically modified banana, cassava, yam and sorghum at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), while Bt cotton has been cleared for commercial production.

Limited trials are ongoing for Bt maize and virus-resistant cassava, and genome editing projects targeting crop improvement have also been authorised. Genetically modified food aid is allowed subject to safety assessments.

The EAC envisions biotechnology as a driver of socio-economic development, food security, healthcare, environmental sustainability and industrial growth over the next decade.

The regional framework aligns with global and continental development agendas, including the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Africa CDC biosafety and biosecurity strategy, and the EAC Vision 2050.

Biotechnology is recognised as a critical enabler for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with the EAC Treaty identifying science, technology and innovation as key pillars of integration. EASTECO will coordinate partner states’ efforts and facilitate collaboration with development partners to maximise benefits while mitigating potential risks.

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