President William Ruto on Wednesday defended his government’s decision to lift the ban on Genetically Modified Organisms saying GMO foods are safe and pose no harm to humans.
President Ruto argued that people in South Africa and the USA consumed GMO foods and nothing bad had happened to them accusing Kenyan politicians of politicising the matter.
“There is no evidence showing GMOs are harmful to human health. There is no woman who has grown beards because of consuming GMOs. I have been taking GMOs, have I grown breasts? As the president, I will not allow anything that endangers the lives of Kenyans,” said Ruto.
The Head of State found nothing wrong with importing GMOs reminding Kenyans that being a scientist, he could not permit importation of foods that endanger the lives of Kenyans.
He added, “As the President, I cannot endanger the lives of the same people who elected me. I am a scientist myself, and all the scientists in this country have found that GMO is not dangerous. Scientists in the US and South Africa have also made conclusions on this GMO issue. People there eat GMO and nothing has happened to them.”
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He, however, clarified that Kenya will only import GMOs temporarily as the government enables farmers to produce sufficient food to meet the consumption demands of Kenyans.
The President Ruto administration in October 2022, through a decision by his cabinet, lifted the ban on importation of GMOs initiated by late president Mwai Kibaki in 2012.
The Ruto cabinet argued that the move would help the country achieve food security and overcome the perennial problems occasioned by the drought that was ravaging the country.
His Cabinet thus allowed importation and growing of White GMO maize as Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi letting traders and millers to import 900,000 tonnes of white maize duty-free from February to August.
However, a section of Kenyans has criticized the government for opening the door for unscrupulous millers and traders to violate the duty-free importation of white maize.
