Catholic Activists in Africa Ask Kenya’s President to Withdraw Directive Legalizing GMOs

CitizenGo officials say the consumption of GMO foods “is an intricate and rather new phenomenon that is still under scientific study even in the most developed countries like the United States of America."

"The United States has well-laid structures on the safety of GMOs considering the risk that they raise but there is none in Kenya yet neither is there an assurance it can be implemented," they say.

“It is only prudent that you withdraw this directive and involve all stakeholders before considering any lifting of the ban," the Catholic activists say, and call on people to sign the petition.

In October, Kenya lifted the 10-year ban that had been placed on the cultivation and importation of genetically modified crops, a decision that has generated debate among citizens of the East African nation.

The Catholic activists say President Ruto's decision to lift the GMO ban is influenced by foreign nations, and explain, "The new president of Kenya, his excellency William Ruto, is now looking west for foreign aid evidently. Kenya is a developing country and one of the important decisions a president has to make is on their foreign policy."

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"Foreign policy determines who to partner with in terms of loans and foreign aid and always this has its own consequences," they say in their attempt to explain their allegation about foreign nations’ influence.

On November 28, Archbishop Anthony Muheria of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri in Kenya termed as “distasteful and disrespectful to Kenyans” remarks, which the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Trade and Industrialization made on the legalization of GMOs foods in the country.

Archbishop Muheria was reacting to CS Moses Kuria who, on November 17, had admitted that GMOs foods can lead to loss of life.

CS Kuria said, “We have so many things that can kill us in the country. Being in this country you are a candidate for death and because there are many things competing for death in this country, there is nothing wrong with adding GMOs to that list.” 

Addressing members of the press on November 21, Archbishop Muheria said that Kenyans deserve an apology from the CS for Trade and Industrialization and that the GMO topic “is a serious matter that deserves discussion, deep, sober engagement.”

“It is not a decision for us to just embrace wholesome and completely without any reservation, nor a situation where we want to reject the use or even to address the need that could be for a specific time,” the Kenyan Catholic Archbishop said. 

“It is a matter of discussion, engagement and respectful, strategic engagement,” the Local Ordinary of Nyeri Diocese who doubles as the Chairman of the Commission for Social Communication of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) said.

Meanwhile, a High Court in Kenya has temporarily barred the government from importing and distributing GMOs until a case filed by the Kenyan Peasants League, a social movement, is heard and determined.

High Court Judge Mugure Thande said, November 28, that in case the government has already imported GMO foods, no government entity or official should distribute them to the public until the dispute relating to its safety is determined.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.