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{
    "id": 13609,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/13609/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 35,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kamama",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 165,
        "legal_name": "Asman Abongutum Kamama",
        "slug": "asman-kamama"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, the seeds distributed by the said Government agencies are not GMO seeds. If somebody else is distributing the alleged seeds, then that is illegal and should be reported to the police. Regarding the importation of GMO seeds in this country, I wish to state categorically that I am not aware of any importation of such seeds in the country. For one to import GMOs, he or she has to get an approval from the National Bio-safety Authority (NBA) as well as an import permit from the relevant regulatory agencies. He or she has to follow the variety release procedures as required by KEPHIS. To date, the NBA has not approved any importation of GMO seeds for commercial planting in the country, except for research purposes within contained or isolated environments. When the time comes, where there will be need to import GMO seeds for environmental release, the public will be informed through the appropriate channels as provided for in Section 18 of the Biosafety Act of 2009. (c) There are experts in GMOs in this country. Kenya’s premier research institute - that is, KARI - has 23 well trained research scientists in biotechnology on full-time employment. The research institute has a dedicated biotechnology research centre at National Agricultural Research Laboratories located at Westlands in Nairobi. The country has highly trained staff in areas of genetic engineering which include, at the very least, ten professors and 22 lecturers trained at PhD levels. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the country is, therefore, undertaking continuous training and releasing of experts in biotechnology and genetic engineering. There are experts in the National Bio-safety Authority. Those experts are available at the national level. In addition, the National Bio-safety Authority works in collaboration with other regulators countrywide who, by law, are mandated to enforce the bio-safety regulations and inspections. There are bio-safety experts and inspectors at KEPHIS, that is, in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). Those inspectors are available for deployment nationwide, including Eldoret South Constituency, where the Questioner comes from. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on whether the Ministry can confirm to the House that no GMOs have been imported in the country, I wish to state that the NBA did receive two applications this year - 2011 - from World Food Programme (WFP) to import genetically modified corn soy blend and maize meal into Kenya and also for transit to Uganda. The Authority, through its Technical and Experts Review Committee, reviewed those applications. The importations were for relief food in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa."
}