Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Sen. Mutahi Kagwe has ordered tougher enforcement of pesticide regulations, warning that Kenya will not become a dumping ground for products banned elsewhere over health and safety concerns.
Kagwe said pesticides prohibited in any country should be banned across the East African Community (EAC), with Kenya also pushing for harmonised controls across COMESA.
“My pronouncement is clear: a pesticide banned anywhere in the world will be banned in Kenya,” Kagwe said during engagements with the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Malindi.
The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) reports an estimated 95 per cent reduction in unauthorised and smuggled pesticides entering the country.
PCPB Chief Executive Officer Fredrick Muchiri said the regulator now has officers stationed at 10 major gazetted border points and ports, compared with none deployed at entry points in 2024. Surveillance along porous borders, including Loitoktok, has been strengthened.
Kagwe’s crackdown follows a PCPB scientific review of 430 pesticide products, which resulted in 77 end-use products being withdrawn from the Kenyan market. A further 202 products were restricted on various crops, while 151 remain under review.
The CS has directed inspections of agrovet outlets to remove expired, counterfeit, smuggled and unauthorised products. PCPB is using spectrometer technology to identify non-conforming products, while enforcement officers receive specialised training to strengthen prosecutions.
PCPB is training county agricultural extension officers to help farmers identify illegal pesticides and promote safe use, while officials emphasise that pesticide residue findings should be assessed against established Maximum Residue Limits.
