The Environment Court in has reached a decision to dismiss a petition challenging the importation and cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country. The court’s ruling asserted that there was no concrete evidence to suggest that the government had violated any laws or regulations regarding GMO foods.
In the ruling, the court emphasized the importance of trusting the established institutions and holding them accountable if they were to breach the law. The judge urged Kenyans to place their trust in these institutions, highlighting that they cannot implement regulations that would harm the public.
Addressing concerns about public participation in the decision-making process, the court ruled that public engagement had indeed taken place. Justice Oscar Angote, while dismissing claims to the contrary, explained that the Kenyan gazette was a means of informing the public and, therefore, served the purpose of public participation.
The court pointed out the importance of having confidence in the various institutions responsible for safeguarding the health and environment of the country. It deemed it unlikely that these institutions would conspire to expose the population to potential harm.
“With all these institutions we should be confident that our health and environment is in good hands, it can’t be true they can all conspire to expose the population to the calamities,” said the court.
The court’s final decision was based on the lack of evidence showing that the respondents and institutions involved had breached any laws or regulations concerning GMO foods, especially in the approval of their release, cultivation, importation, and exportation of maize.
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This ruling follows a prior case challenging the release and planting of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) maize in Kenya. The Environment Court, in its judgment, cited a lack of evidence demonstrating that GMOs posed any harm to human health or the environment. The debate over the safety of GMOs had previously stirred concerns, particularly after the lifting of the ban on GMO imports during President William Ruto’s administration.
In response to the court’s decision, President Ruto assured the Kenyan public that genetically modified products did not present any adverse health effects. He emphasized that he would not jeopardize the well-being of the people by endorsing unsafe practices. Ruto also pointed out that GMOs could be engineered to be resistant to pests and diseases, potentially reducing the need for pesticides and herbicides.
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Civil Society groups had contested Ruto’s stance and filed a petition to challenge his orders, asserting that the government had not furnished sufficient evidence to prove the safety of modified crops. The High Court had previously ruled in favor of these civil society groups, leading to a temporary ban on the importation and distribution of GMO products.
