Agriculture CS Kagwe bans entry of pesticides prohibited abroad
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe confirmed in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that the government will step up border enforcement to block non-compliant chemicals due to escalating health and safety concerns.
Nairobi, August 25 - Kenya has announced a ban on pesticides prohibited in other countries, aligning its chemical regulation standards with international norms, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development announced on Tuesday. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe revealed in a statement from Nairobi that the government plans to enhance border controls to prevent the entry of non-compliant chemicals due to growing health and safety concerns.
Kagwe emphasized that Kenya will not serve as a dumping ground for banned chemicals and called for harmonized pesticide regulations across the East African Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa to curb the infiltration of prohibited products into regional markets.
Fredrick Muchiri, CEO of the Pest Control Products Board, confirmed that unauthorized pesticide imports into Kenya have dropped by an estimated 95 percent. Muchiri credited the significant reduction to intensified surveillance measures, including the deployment of regulatory officers at 10 major border points and entry ports, which have effectively shut down key smuggling routes.
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