The legal fraternity has hailed Kenya University Biotechnology Consortium's (KUBICO) efforts to equip them with biotechnology expertise, a timely move following the lifting of Kenya's decade-long genetically modified organisms (GMO) ban.
Earlier this month, the High Court dismissed multiple petitions challenging the lifting of the GMO food ban, maintaining the country has sufficient regulatory systems in place that assured the safety of people, animals and the environment.
To advance the dialogue, KUBICO hosted an interactive session with members of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Nairobi branch, including lawyers, senior counsel, judges, advocates, and magistrates. The discussions centered on the science and controversies surrounding GMOs.
"It has been such an enlightening engagement with KUBICO on GMOs and such sessions should be frequent to boost our capacity as the legal fraternity," said LSK Council Member Caroline Khasoa at the close of the workshop at a Nairobi hotel.
Participants were guided through the distinctions between biotechnology and hybrid products, the geopolitical dynamics of GMOs, associated risks, and the precautionary principle.
Richard Oduor, Kenyatta University's Registrar of Research and chair of the Kenya University Biotechnology Consortium (KUBICO), said the High Court's decision has significant implications for law professionals.
"These judges, senior council, lawyers - all belonging to the Law Society of Kenya- need continuous capacity building because they are litigating on certain areas that they do not have competencies about," he said.
He emphasized that the session marked the beginning of a long-term effort by KUBICO to disseminate information to LSK members, who play a pivotal role in addressing GMO matters in court.
Global bioethist and senior social science researcher Prof Violet Naanyu noted there is no scientific evidence showing that GM foods are harmful.
In its ruling, the High Court observed that studies had established GM foods available on the international market undergo rigorous risk assessments and are therefore unlikely to pose greater risks to human health than their conventional counterparts.
"Dependency on the industrialized nations is an issue and especially because technologically they are more advanced than us so the inequities might persist in different ways. We need to think about this even as we open up to GMO," she said.
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Scientists see the dismissal of litigations that froze the lifting of the ban on GMOs as a positive development for Kenya's food security given that, the production capacity is still far lower than the consumption requirement.
Kenya has a deficit of 200million metric tonnes now, compelling the country import. It is expected that cultivation of GM is allowed, production capacities will improve and that will address food security.
The GMO product lined up for cultivation in Kenya which has now been approved to go to the farm is BT maize. This maize that has been modified using a harmless bacterium to enable the grain to tolerate and to fight back when the stem borers attack.
The stem borers have been responsible for the loss of over 60 percent of maize production, and it is expected that having BT maize in the farm, the loss will be circumvented to a large extent.
