Kenya archbishop wants minister to say sorry for GMO comments

Kenyan Catholic Archbishop Anthony Muheria has requested an apology from the country’s trade minister over comments he made last week regarding concern about the use of genetically modified crops – or GMOs – in the country.

Debate around GMO use has been heating up after the government lifted a 10-year ban on their use in the face of a crippling drought and food shortage.

Last week, in a bid to persuade Kenyans to accept the crops, Trade Secretary Moses Kuria told Kenyans: “We have so many things that can kill us in the country. Being in this country, you are a candidate for death. And because so many things compete for death, there is nothing wrong with adding GMOs to that list.”

Archbishop Muheria said he found the comments “distasteful and disrespectful” and urged leaders not to “take Kenyans for granted” or “trivialise serious matters like food security”.

Winnie Odinga, daughter of opposition leader Raila Odinga and East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) member, told Kenyan radio station, Spice FM: “GMO is not something that is right for us right now.”

Debates around GMO use in the country have been building following the government’s recent reversal of a 10-year ban on the crops. A survey conducted by a non-governmental organisation, Route to Food Initiative, last year showed that 57% of Kenyans do not welcome GMOs, who will now have to be persuaded.

The government say the lifting of the GMO ban was prompted by the real need to ensure food security as Kenya is currently facing a severe water shortage caused by four failed consecutive rainy seasons, amid one of the harshest droughts the East African region has seen in four decades. This means crops are not able to grow, prompting warnings of potential famine.

BBC Africa