The Kenyan government has clarified that the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) will not be merged with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), contrary to earlier proposals under the ongoing State Corporations reforms.

In January 2025, the Cabinet approved key reforms aimed at streamlining government agencies. The reforms included merging 42 State Corporations with overlapping or related mandates into 20 entities to improve operational efficiency and eliminate redundancy. Among the 42 was NBA.

However, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has confirmed that NBA and KEPHIS will remain separate due to Kenya’s international commitments. “We have realized that some institutions cannot be merged at all, and a good example is KEPHIS and NBA. Those two cannot be merged because of international obligations,” Kagwe stated.

Both KEPHIS and NBA play crucial yet distinct roles. NBA regulates biosafety and oversees genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in line with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, ratified by Kenya in 2003. KEPHIS, on the other hand, is responsible for ensuring the quality of agricultural inputs and produce, aligning with Kenya’s obligations under treaties like the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Organzation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

A joint position paper from both institutions emphasized that Kenya’s commitment to these international treaties requires distinct legal frameworks. “Due to the unique scope of the treaties, the government established the two separate institutions to ensure strategic effectiveness,” the statement read.