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{
    "id": 1460515,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1460515/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 67,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John K. Mutunga",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, the first question was under what circumstances Bayer East Africa has continued to sell Round-Up in the country for use in weed control despite being scientifically linked to cancer. The response is that Round-Up is a glyphosate-based product that has been widely used world-wide as an herbicide to control weeds for several decades. The Statement further reads that Bayer East Africa has continued to sell Round-Up in the country because it is registered and approved by the Pest Control Products Board for use as post-emergency systemic herbicide for the control of weeds in various crops. Although Round-Up and other glyphosate-based products have been linked to cancer, several organisations like the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, and the World Health Organisation, have undertaken studies on glyphosate-based products. In 2019, PCPB and a team of scientists reviewed scientific studies on glyphosate and established that there was no evidence linking glyphosate-based products to cancer in human beings. In 2016, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation undertook test and risk assessment of glyphosate-based products and established that glyphosate is unlikely to pose carcinogenic risk to the human beings. The second issue raised by Hon. Ruku was on the studies and findings that Bayer East Africa Limited has documented and submitted to the relevant Government agencies on the effects of Round-Up, including profiled cases of harmful exposure, the mitigation measures, and the compensation so far extended to victims of carcinogenic effects by Round-Up in Kenya. Hon. Speaker, the response is as follows: The assessment of human risk enquiries, identification, compilation and integration of information on the health absence of a chemical, human exposure to the chemical, and relationship among exposure, dose and adverse effects, as with all pest control products, Bayer East Africa Limited submitted scientific data packages supporting the quality and safety of Round-Up as required by the law. The data packages included purity and impurity profile, identity; that is the chemistry and toxicology, which incorporated acute and long-term studies, the effects on the environment and the beneficial organisms, efficacy data, and also residual data. There have been no reported cases directly linking the use of glyphosate-based products to cancer in Kenya based on the information provided to the Pest Control Products Board by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health is represented in the Pest Control Products Board of Directors as required by Section 5.2 of the Pest Control Products Board Act, CAP. 346 of 1982, and in the Technical and Registration Committee of the Board. The third issue raised by Hon. Ruku was why the Pest Control Products Board has not banned the use of Round-Up in the country, and when the Government intends to act so as to protect Kenyans from the risk of cancer resulting from continued use or exposure to Round- Up. I want to report that PCPB has registered and approved the use of Round-Up as a post- emergency systemic herbicide for the control of weeds in the country. The decision of not banning the use of Round-Up was informed by the review of the scientific information on the glyphosate, which indicated that there is no evidence showing that continued use of Round-Up exposes human beings to cancer when used according to the label instructions. The Government of Kenya, through PCPB, is committed to protecting Kenyans and the environment for posterity through science-based decision-making. The PCPB will take appropriate measures as required by the law if they get any new information on Round-Up. Thank you, Hon. Speaker. That is the response."
}