Kenyan president’s plan to allow GMO foods will have political consequence

• The opposition leader in Kenya has openly critiqued and questioned President Ruto’s decision to allow the importation of GMO foods.
• He noted that allowing GMO foods in the country benefits those looking to gain from a crisis. 
• His accusation is coming despite having supported the motion to bring import GMO foods. 

A few days into President Ruto’s inauguration, he decided to allow the importation of genetically modified foods into the country.

This decision was spurred by the current food crises currently plaguing the East African giants. Read the story here.

To combat starvation, the Kenyan president decided that GMO foods are a quick and cost-effective fix. However, his decision from the onset has met numerous oppositions. Read the story here. Many argue that the adverse health effects of GMO foods could be more devastating to the population than food scarcity itself.

Current estimates show that about three million Kenyans are at risk of starvation, owing to the drought the country is experiencing.

Wielding the conversation as political ammunition Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka, the opposition’s leader has questioned the intention behind the president’s decision.

He alleged that the president has an ulterior motive: a scheme involving unnamed individuals in government and foreign companies to profit from the current drought and famine. He noted that the approval of GMO food imports is nothing more than his way of exploiting what has officially become a humanitarian crisis.

“In this scheme, the worse the pain, the bigger the gain for the shylocks in government,” Raila Odinga said.

He went on, adding, “This situation requires a massive emergency response program to ensure rapid delivery of food, water, and medicine to the millions of people. This required emergency response is missing; instead, the government is consumed by the politics of survival and the elections of 2027.”

Ruto has not responded to the accusation and seems adamant about his push to bring GMO foods to Kenya.

In an ironic twist, former Prime Minister Odinga was an avid believer in GMO foods and is known to have publicly supported the motion to import genetically modified foods, labeling those who were opposed to the idea as conservative.

Mr. Odinga said in an old quote in the adverse documents tabled in Parliament on August 3, 2011, by Naivasha MP John Mututho.

“The Americans cannot be so negligent as to allow the American people to consume GMO food if it is harmful. Let us not be too conservative because science is moving on. Conservatism is not going to help this country. Alarming statements are calculated to instill fear.

According to EastAfricaco, GM maize testing in Kenya started in 2010 but the NBA approved the environmental release in 2016. The scientists completed research on genetically modified maize last year and the material has been awaiting approval by the Cabinet before release for commercial farming.

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