MPs have called for the dissolution of the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), accusing it of protecting agrochemical companies linked to harmful pesticides blamed for rising cancer cases in the country.
The National Assembly's Committee on Implementation on Tuesday accused the board of promoting the interests of the agrochemical industry at the expense of Kenyan lives.
Led by Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei, the MPs questioned why no action had been taken more than five years after the House resolved to withdraw all poisonous pesticides in the country.
In 2019, the House passed a petition by Ms Shollei to withdraw harmful pesticides from the Kenyan market.
To address the rising cancer cases attributed to toxic chemicals in the Kenyan market, the committee, chaired by Budalang'i MP Raphael Wanjala, convened a meeting with PCPB Director Fredrick Muchiri, Permanent Secretaries Mary Muthoni (Public Health) and Kiprono Rono (Agriculture).
Top officials from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) and the Agrochemicals Association of Kenya were also invited to discuss the matter.
The lawmakers refused to listen to the submissions of the invited parties, who demanded that the PCPB and the ministries take decisive action by immediately cancelling the registration of all the 267 products listed in the petition.
“This matter dates back to the year 2019. I do not understand why these products are still on the shelves of agrovet shops, even as they continue to endanger the lives of Kenyans,” stated Shollei.
The Deputy Speaker questioned why the products were still being sold in Kenya despite a ban in the West.
“The products we are talking about have been banned in their countries of origin. They have been banned in North America and Europe. Why are they being sold in the local market?” she asked.
Ms Shollei called for the dissolution of the board, which she noted could also be sued similar to a case where a group of American farmers were recently awarded Sh32.4 billion each after being exposed to the products.
The board CEO angered the committee when he argued that the House Resolution was based on inaccurate information following “further scientific research”.
The MPs, including Hillary Kosgei (Kipkelion West), Memusi Kanchory (Kajiado Central), Kitilai ole Ntutu (Narok South), Stanley Muthama (Lamu West) and Zamzam Mohammed (Mohammed), accused the board of protecting agrochemical dealers.
They called for immediate action to deregister all cited pesticide products, noting that the continued use of the chemicals is exacerbating the health risk to Kenyans.
“There has been a surge of cancer cases since 2015. Have you conducted any spot checks on agrochemical shops to ascertain the safety of the products on sale? We are not interested in further research on the matter,” stated Kosgei.
MP Memusi explained that the legislators “were not asking (the Board) to make a populist decision. We are asking you to make the right decision”.
“Cancer cases are on the rise both in urban areas and in the rural areas. These cases can only be attributed to the kind of foods we are eating,” he said.
Echoing the MP's sentiments, the chairperson reiterated the committee's determination to ensure that the resolutions of Parliament are effectively implemented.
“We cannot continue to allow Kenyans to die because of inaction. For instance, when we buy tomatoes in the market, we have no idea how they are grown. We are all affected by this matter,” said Wanjala.
While admitting that the matter had taken an inordinate amount of time, PS Rono asked for more time to allow him to make the right decision.
“We share in your concern and indeed the matter has taken long to be settled. We plead that you allow us a few days to issue a press statement on this matter,” the PS said.
In her petition, Shollei raised the alarm about the proliferation of chemical pesticides, which are not only harmful to human health but also to the environment.
In three years, the volume of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides had more than doubled with a growth rate of 144 percent from 6,400 tonnes in 2015 to 15,600 tonnes in 2018, the report said.
The report listed harmful products, many of which have been banned in the US, UK and Europe, including chemicals classified as toxic to reproductive health (262), neurotoxic (140), endocrine disruptors (35), mutagenic (24) and carcinogenic (24).
“The increase in pesticide use has not been accompanied by the necessary safeguards to control how they are applied,” said the report.
“During the pesticide registration process in Kenya, it is mainly the purity and efficacy of the product that is tested. Data on human and environmental health under local conditions are scarcely taken into consideration.”
The Pest Control Act Cap 346 of the Constitution does not list environmental and/or human health as possible concerns during the registration process.
The report also found that Kephis had contravened the Pest Control Products Act, Section 15, “by failing to publish available information on the actual pesticide levels in food samples collected and put in place regular monitoring system.”
The PCPB, the report said, has not been adhering to the international code of conduct on pesticide management set out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
