Kenya bans pesticides prohibited in other countries

Kenya announced Tuesday that it will prohibit pesticides banned abroad from entering the country, aligning its policy with international chemical regulation standards.

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.

Reaffirming that Kenya will not become a dumping ground for products banned elsewhere, he urged unified pesticide regulations across the East African Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa to prevent rejected chemicals from infiltrating regional markets.

Fredrick Muchiri, chief executive officer of the Pest Control Products Board, confirmed that unauthorized and smuggled pesticide imports into Kenya have plummeted by an estimated 95%.

Muchiri attributed the sharp decline to heightened surveillance following the deployment of regulatory officers across 10 major gazetted border points and entry ports, effectively closing key smuggling routes.