Nairobi — Importers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will now be required to obtain clearance from the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) before their products are released into the country.

In a directive issued to government agencies, including the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), NBA Acting Chief Executive Officer Ann Karimi instructed officers at entry and exit points to ensure all GMO imports are cleared by the authority in line with the Biosafety Act, 2009.

The directive applies to genetically modified plants, animals, microorganisms and veterinary vaccines entering Kenya.

"These products are traded globally between and among countries. The Authority has already profiled the relevant Harmonized System (HS) codes of these products, and we request the cooperation and assistance of your officers at various entry and exit points to ensure that these products are cleared by NBA before their release," said Karimi.

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She added that NBA officers have been deployed at ports of entry and exit to guide importers and advise on the necessary procedures where cases of non-compliance arise.

The Biosafety Act, enacted in 2009, established the NBA to regulate the development, transfer, handling and use of GMOs through scientific risk assessments, while issuing approvals for research, commercialization, import and export to safeguard human, animal and environmental health.

Among the genetically modified crops approved for cultivation in Kenya is Bt cotton, which is also grown in countries including South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Malawi, Sudan and Eswatini, as well as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Pakistan and the United States.

Bt cotton has also been approved for food, feed, processing and other uses in several jurisdictions, including the European Union, Japan, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.