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{
    "id": 654133,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/654133/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 75,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Pukose",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1458,
        "legal_name": "Robert Pukose",
        "slug": "robert-pukose"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for allowing me to contribute to this important Bill, namely, the Seeds and Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The former Government banned the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) foods within this country despite the fact that we did not have any scientific evidence to prove that GMOs cause cancer. This was after somebody made a careless statement that led to the Cabinet making a hasty decision and banning GMOs. Up to today, that ban is still in place and has not been lifted despite evidence by our scientists. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) does a lot of research on genetics on both plants and animals. We also have Kenyatta University (KU) doing the same. The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) is doing the same. Despite the presence of all these scientists that we are training all over the country, the ban is still in place and we are not able to give them an opportunity to explore what they know and improve on the various issues that face this country. Some plants take a short time and give high yields with very little water in the drought-prone areas. I am talking of areas that cannot produce food, but with little rain, they can. Genetic engineering has undergone a lot of modification. More often, when we talk about GMO foods or plants, there is a lot of scientific evidence. This shows they understand better what they produce, whether plants or animals. This may be through gene deletion, modification, substitution or other methods which scientists carry out. Looking at many areas where plant varieties have undergone plant genetics, genetic components of plants are much more understood compared to a wild plant that nobody has taken time to understand. The genetic modifications they have done could either be resistant to certain infections, diseases and pests or withstand difficult weather conditions such as drought. It is important that we pass this Bill and provide a framework in which people can engage deliberately. As we go into this, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries need to sit down and discuss openly with Kenyans. This way, every citizen can access knowledge about genetic foods and animals and understand them better. That way, the people will not be carried away by a lot of disinformation. With those few remarks, I support the Seeds and Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill, 2015."
}