Raila explains why he supported GMOs as PM and now opposes them

According to Raila, more than a decade later, as scientific scrutiny intensifies, new information has emerged, the majority of it negative toward GMOs, prompting his change of heart.

“As science has evolved of the last decade, so has Mr. Odinga’s thinking on GMOs,” Raila said in a statement by Dennis Onyango, his spokesperson. 

The former Prime Minister also dismissed claims that his new stance on GMOs was a ruse.

According to Raila, his new stance embodies what the twenty-first century is all about: a willingness to learn, unlearn, and relearn.

“Mr. Odinga’s current position on GMOs is therefore not a case of double speak but a result of willingness to learn, unlearn and relearn, the essence of literacy in the 21st century,”  the statement adds. 

In the same statement, Raila stated that if the government presents convincing scientific evidence supporting the safety of GMO crops to the public, he is willing to support it.

“Mr. Odinga will stand ready to embrace that new information,” the statement adds. 

Raila reaffirmed his opposition to the government's introduction of genetically modified crops in the nation in late October. The government was purportedly doing this to combat drought-related issues.

The reintroduction of GMOs, in Raila's view, is a cruel justification that infringes on Kenyans' rights and jeopardizes the country's interests at the expense of foreign commercial interests.

He vowed to launch an offensive against GMOs in court and in farms across the country.

He also questioned the lifting of the ban on GMos in Kenya, especially given that they are still illegal in scientifically advanced countries such as France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary, and the Netherlands.

"They are banned in many scientifically advanced economies like France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg. Bulgaria, Poland, Denmark, Malta, Slovenia, Italy, and Croatia. Why Kenya?"Raila added.