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Freedom comes from food security: East African farmers shouldn’t be denied access to GMOs
An article published by African Arguments recently shows there is still confusion and uncertainty around genetically modified (GMO) foods in Uganda. This arises from a decision by the Kenyan government to lift the ban on the importation and cultivation of select GM crops. About 278 million people…
Fact check: Kenyan politician makes false claims about genetically modified foods — again
Early this month, Kenya’s former Prime Minister criticized the move by the government to import genetically modified maize. Addressing a gathering of his supporters in the Coastal county of Kilifi, Raila Odinga said that consuming imported GM maize would seriously affect Kenyans. His specific words were that men would…
Alliance for Science and Kenyan editors commit to enhance science reporting, fight misinformation on biotechnology
The Alliance for Science and Kenyan editors promised to collaborate to enhance science reporting and stem misinformation on biotechnology. Speaking during a breakfast meeting with members of the Kenya Editors Guild at Capital Club in Nairobi on May 17, the Alliance for Science Executive Director Dr Sheila…
Kenya: We need to address food insecurity but must first end misinformation on genetically modified crops
Kenya’s food insecurity is as old as the country’s independence. The country’s first president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta committed to fighting disease, ignorance, and hunger, the three major problems that affected Kenya then. Sixty years and five presidents later, hunger is still our biggest national challenge. Amid this quagmire, many…
Misinformation on GM crops and improved seeds hurting Kenyan farmers and hungry citizens
Rose Rono has lived and farmed in Limuru, Kiambu County, in Central Kenya for the last 10 years. In a good season, she says she harvests 10 bags of corn weighing from her two-acre maize farm. Each bag weighs 90 kilograms. But for the last three seasons, she has realized…
What Kenya’s position on genetically modified crops means for East African countries
Kenyan President William Ruto’s recent remarks reiterating his pro-GMO stance were applauded by several scientists in East Africa who recognize that without GMO crops and newer technologies, the region will be more food insecure. The region is experiencing the worst drought in four decades and an unprecedented…
GMO misinformation in Kenya: The challenge of conveyor belt journalism in debate about biotech seeds
A report highlighting levels of misinformation about GMOs in Kenya’s media, released in February 2023 by the Alliance for Science, has brought to the fore the persistent challenge of “conveyor belt” journalism. Media pundits in Kenya have for a long time decried the prevalence of this kind of journalism…
GMO misinformation: It will be difficult for Kenyans to make informed decisions and that could cost lives
The level of misinformation on GMOs in Kenyan media could be the highest in the world, according to a new study by Alliance for Science. The study reviewed GMO-related stories in Kenyan media over three months, between October 2022 and January 2023. President Dr William Ruto lifted a…
African regulators say the continent has the appropriate legal regime to oversee the safe use of GMOs
Biosafety regulators from Africa told the United Nations (UN) Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada in December 2022 that African countries have the appropriate legal regime to regulate the safe application of genetically modified organism (GMO) technology to agricultural production. Regulators from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Sudan…