Members of Parliament have expressed their frustration to the State Department of Agriculture and the Pest Control Board over the lack of action regarding the implementation of a House Resolution to withdraw all harmful pesticides from the country.
During a meeting with PS Kiprono Rono and Fredrick Muchiri, CEO of the Pest Control Products Board, Members of the Committee on Implementation accused the Ministry officials of prioritizing the interests of the agrochemical industry over the health of Kenyans.
The resolution stems from a successful petition initiated by Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss in 2019 and is currently under close scrutiny by the Committee.
Alarmed by the rising cancer cases in the country attributed to these chemicals, the Committee convened a meeting with the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Agriculture and his counterpart from the State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards. Others in attendance included the Managing Director of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, the CEO of the Pest Control Products Board, and the CEO of the Agrochemicals Association of Kenya.
The Committee, led by Raphael Wanjala, along with the petitioner Gladys Boss, accused the Board of seemingly prioritizing the interests of businesses dealing with these products at the expense of public health.
The lawmakers, led by Boss, rejected the written submissions from the invited parties and demanded that the State Department and the Board immediately withdraw the registration of all 267 cited products.
“Hon. Chairperson, this matter dates back to the year 2019. I do not understand why these products are still on the shelves of agrovet shops, even as they continue to put the lives of Kenyans at risk”, she stated.
Boss wondered why the products remained on the market when they had been banned in their countries of origin.
“Hon. Members, the products we are talking about have been banned in their countries of origin. They have been banned in North America and in Europe, why are they being sold in the local market?”, she wondered.
Citing a recent case in which American farmers were awarded USD 250 million each after being diagnosed with cancer due to exposure to these products, she called for the disbandment of the Board, noting that they could face similar legal action in Kenya.
Committee Members Memusi Kanchory (Kajiado Central) and Hon. Hillary Koskey (Kipkelion East) demanded that the officials immediately issue a press statement deregistering all the cited products.
They expressed concern to the Board CEO after he informed the Committee that some of the information used to support the House resolution was later deemed inaccurate following further scientific research.
“We are not interested in further research on the matter. Since 2015, cancer cases have been rising at a great rate. Have you conducted any spot checks on agrochemical shops to ascertain the safety of the products on sale? “ Koskey asked.
Hon. Memusi accused the Board of protecting agrochemical dealers and urged the State Department to make a timely decision on the matter.
“We are not asking you to make a populist decision. We are asking you to make the right decision. Cancer cases are on the rise both in urban areas and in the rural areas. These cases can only be attributed to the kind of foods we’re eating”, he noted.
Adding to the discussion, Zamzam Mohammed (Mombasa), Stanley Muthama (Lamu West), and Kitilai ole Ntutu (Narok South) called for immediate action, warning that continued use of these products further endangered Kenyans.
Wanjala echoed their concerns, emphasizing that the Committee’s role is to ensure the effective implementation of House Resolutions.
“We are all affected by this matter, including yourselves. When we buy tomatoes in the market for instance , we have no idea how they were grown. We cannot continue to allow Kenyans to die because of inaction”, Wanjala remarked.
In response to the lawmakers’ concerns, PS Kiprono Rono acknowledged that the matter had taken an unusually long time to resolve and requested additional time to reach the correct decision.
“Hon. Chair, we share in your concern and indeed the matter has taken long to be settled. We plead that you allow us a few days to issue a press statement on this matter”, he urged the lawmakers.
Wanjala has since instructed the officials to appear before the Committee next week to provide an update on the status of the matter.
