Hesitance to adopt key biotechnologies could compromise Kenya’s food security and leave it paces behind other countries that long took that leap, Principal Secretary for Science, Research, and Innovation Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak has revealed.

But the government, in a clear display of support for agricultural biotechnology, lifted the longstanding ban on GMOs in 2022, albeit to short-lived relief; a succession of court cases would follow, challenging various aspects of that landmark decision.

Addressing a gathering of stakeholders at the Kenya National Theatre on Tuesday, June 3, Prof. Shaukat said that the government ‘places a high premium on science, research, and innovation’, and that he would continue lobbying for adoption of helpful technologies.

Scientists, policymakers, farmers, journalists and members of the public congregated to discuss the role of modern biotechnology in agriculture under the banner ‘Growing Food and Protecting the Planet’.

This dialogue sought to demystify GMOs which, amid rampant misinformation and disinformation, have been frowned upon by those who have never properly understood the technology.

The scientists, some of who have been in agri-biotechnology for decades, were on hand to explain, and insist on, the history of safe use of these products. 

“Through rigorous research, scientists have demonstrated that several biotech crops – such as genetically modified (GM) cotton, maize and cassava – are climate-resilient and highly productive. These innovations offer promising solutions for enhancing food security and strengthening the resilience of our agricultural systems,” said Prof Shaukat.

Two cotton farmers, Winny Mubea and Nancy Odemba, spoke about their improved farm yields since they transitioned from growing of the conventional crop to Bt Cotton. Their production has more than tripled – in some cases quadrupled, they both confessed.

“In 2019, I was doing the traditional cotton and harvesting 119kg an acre. I adopted the new one in 2020, the Bt cotton, and was able to get 550kg an acre,” Ms. Odemba said.

Ms. Mubea, who was harvesting 500kg from 3 acres while farming the conventional cotton, harvested about 1,400kg from Bt cotton.

Dr. Martin Mwirigi, Institute Director, Biotechnology Research Institute at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, introduced the gathering to GMOs, fielding questions from an excited crowd which was intent on leaving no stone unturned.

Food safety expert Dr. Allan Liavoga said he was constantly vouching for the safety processes that ensure that GMOs are safe, confidently assuring that these foods do not project any new risks, unlike what anti-scientists and pseudoscientists have said before.

ISAAA AfriCenter Director, Dr. Margaret Karembu, spoke about the need for adoption of technology in the face of increasing populations amid climate change.

“There is increasing need for improvement of agri-food systems for a food secure future. New and more virulent crop and animal diseases have emerged over time, wiping out farms, leaving farmers counting huge losses and plunging the country into an abyss of food and feed insecurity,” she said.

She lamented misinformation and disinformation’s role in preventing uptake of key technologies, pointing out a historical pattern of denial of new innovations, which, eventually, proved to be very useful.

“You see, obstetric anesthesia faced early resistance. Surgeons argued that pain served as a survival mechanism as well as a diagnostic signal to help surgeons determine how far pain had progressed. Drinking of coffee, for example, was prohibited in Mecca in the 16th century because it caused “radical thinking”. Some individuals and groups also initially viewed coffee as a potential competitor to wine, particularly in some religious and cultural contexts, BUT the widespread rejection of coffee drinking was an initial perception as a potentially intoxicating "Satan's drink”,” she said.

The same kind of misleading information had caused resistance to agricultural biotechnologies, and she urged stakeholders to rally to beat this scourge.

“The World Economic Forum, in its Global Risks Report of 2025, ranked misinformation and disinformation the top short- to medium term risks for the second consecutive year,” she said. “We need to put a lot of effort into getting ahead of this misinformation and disinformation. At ISAAA AfriCenter, we have dedicated this year’s ABBC 2025, coming up in August in Lusaka, Zambia to co-creating strategies that will help us tackle these misinformation and disinformation monsters.”

Prof. Shaukat urged the public to trust the country’s experts, who are constantly trying to improve lives and livelihoods.

“Kenya has brilliant people. Let us listen to them. This is an agenda that is being built by scientists within the country. We should trust in our own. We should continue with this communication in a positive way,” he said.