Raila's lawyer Paul Mwangi files petition challenging GMO ban lift

Raila Odinga’s lawyer Paul Mwangi has filed a suit to block the Cabinet decision on the importation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country.

In the petition, Odinga’s advocate claimed the lift on the 10-year ban on GMOs was unconstitutional and a threat to food security in the country.

The petition comes just days after Azimio la Umoja One Kenya top brass Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka opposed the lifting of the ban on GMO imports into the country.

If permitted, lawyer Mwangi said was unconstitutional and would threaten food security in the country as it posed a danger to peasant farmers.

In reversing the 10-year-old ban, the Cabinet sought refuge on food security and raging drought to introduce fast growing crops, drought and pest resistant food and animal crops to address the phenomena.

Mwangi claims the 2022 Cabinet decision exposes the country to foods and crops not tested in the country, that in fact it opens a floodgates against regulations that the 2012 ban on GMO imposed.

The petitioner stated that in 2012, the ban on GMOs did not close the door on the use of biotechnology in Kenya but rather closed the door on the introduction of foods not tested by local regulatory agencies.

And that this paved way for the introduction of BT cotton as a cash crop in 2016 on trial basis and genetically modified cassava as food crop in 2021 that is still undergoing trials in Kilifi, Murang’a and Busia counties.

Lawyer Mwangi contends that the 2022 Cabinet decision was not to lift the ban on genetically modified foods but rather effect a blanket uplift of all protocols controlling the introduction of genetically modified foods in Kenya that had been placed by previous administrations.

The petitioner also claimed Kenya risks the danger of having crops developed using genetic use restriction technology gurt; a technology where seeds once grown commit suicide and are thereby unable to be used again to be resown to germinate into a new crop. This to create a dependency on buying of fresh seeds every planting cycle.

Odinga’s lawyer warned that this was imperialistic and predatorial and that it would make the country a food colony of foreign countries and multi-national companies.

In the petition, Mwangi contended that the lift on the GMO ban is a threat to food security to peasants and farmers in the rural areas access to adequate food produced ecologically sound and sustainable methods.

As such, the lawyer wants the decision declared unconstitutional.

Azimio has opposed President William Ruto’s GMO decision vowing to challenge the Cabinet decision claiming it would expose the country to health risks.