NAIROBI, Aug. 25 — Kenya said on Monday that it has released five genetically modified organism (GMO) products for national trials, to pave the way for their approval by regulatory bodies.
Ann Karimi, the chief executive officer of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), said that the crops currently in national trials include cotton, two maize varieties, and cassava projects. According to Karimi, the NBA has approved a total of 46 contained-use and laboratory projects, 18 confined field trial projects, five environmental release applications, and nine genome-editing projects to date. Karimi noted that genome editing research targeting various crops and livestock, including maize, sorghum, rice, wheat, and bananas, is also ongoing in the country. She hailed Kenyan researchers for adhering to biosafety standards, reporting obligations, and institutional procedures, emphasizing that rigorous oversight is essential for maintaining public trust and ensuring scientific innovation advances safely. Karimi added that as Kenya’s National Focal Point for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the NBA maintains structured review systems for processing applications from initial submission through final decision notifications.
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