Kenyan lawmakers have challenged the country’s pesticide regulator to do more than reassure the public that food is safe, amid growing concern over chemical residues, long-term exposure and the oversight of pesticides.
Fredrick Muchiri, chief executive of the Pest Control Products Board, appeared before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee to answer questions about the regulator’s work and audit findings.
Muchiri defended Kenya’s system for approving pesticides, saying products considered to pose serious health risks are not allowed onto the market.
“The Pest Control Products Board process of evaluating pesticides for use in this country does not leave space for authorization of products that can cause cancer,” he said.
He added that products classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction would not be registered.
But lawmakers pressed him to explain why researchers and members of the public continue to raise concerns about chemicals that have been restricted or banned in other jurisdictions.
MPs question claims over banned chemicals
Nominated MP Jackson Kosgei asked the board to address claims that chemicals prohibited in Europe are still being used in Kenya.
“You need a better explanation of that,” Kosgei told Muchiri, saying researchers had raised concerns over the continued use of some substances.
He also warned the regulator against responding defensively to public concerns.
“Do not resolve into a defensive mechanism as an organisation, but instead understand the fears of the country,” Kosgei said.
He said Parliament could help strengthen the regulator if a lack of resources was limiting its ability to carry out its duties.
“If you do not have enough of the things that you require for this functionality, feel free to use Parliament. We can improve your capacity,” he said.
Kenya’s regulatory framework requires pesticide products and uses to undergo assessment, including supervised residue trials where required. The PCPB also operates a laboratory that analyses pesticide products and residues.
Lawmaker calls for deeper research
Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino, who has a background in public health, urged the board to look beyond short-term exposure when assessing the potential effects of pesticides.
He said the debate should not focus solely on whether residue levels in food remain below established limits.
“When the public cries, I will go slow to look further, because pesticides interfere with the natural ecosystem,” Owino said.
He also raised questions about possible cumulative exposure, pointing to the country’s growing burden of cancer.
“Right now, we have a lot of cancers going on,” he said, arguing that possible long-term effects deserved closer investigation.
Owino called for greater cooperation between the regulator and research institutions to establish what role, if any, pesticide exposure plays in wider public health concerns.
Muchiri rejected claims that pesticides were responsible for cancer in Kenya.
“Whatever is causing cancer in this country, I will tell you for sure, it is not pesticide,” he said.
Regulator disputes claims on food safety
Muchiri also pushed back against claims circulating on social media that Kenyans were being exposed to dangerous pesticide levels through food.
He said the board monitored residues at farms and in major markets and that its available data did not support claims that food in the country was generally unsafe.
“The food we have in our market is safe. We have data to support that,” he said.
The PCPB says its laboratory conducts pesticide-residue analysis and that keeping residues within established maximum limits is an important part of food safety.
Muchiri also disputed the interpretation of an earlier study that detected pesticide residues in 78 per cent of samples. He said finding a residue did not, by itself, mean that the food was unsafe. The level of the residue and whether it exceeded the applicable safety limit were critical.
Audit raises questions over expired laboratory reagents
The committee also examined an audit finding concerning the expiry of laboratory supplies at the PCPB.
According to the audit report for the financial year ended June 30, 2025, 35 units of laboratory reagents had expired, raising questions about inventory controls.
Owino asked whether any of the expired chemicals could have been used.
Muchiri said they had not been used and had instead been handed over to the relevant disposal committee.
The issue nevertheless added another layer to lawmakers’ concerns about the regulator’s ability to monitor pesticide safety effectively.
The PCPB maintains that laboratory testing, market surveillance and regulatory inspections are part of its mandate. Its current website also lists ongoing reviews of pesticide active ingredients, including thiacloprid, pymetrozine, chlorothalonil and diuron.
Questions remain over wildlife deaths
The committee also touched on the deaths of elephants that had been linked to chemical exposure.
Muchiri said a joint investigation with the Kenya Wildlife Service had found no evidence that pesticides used by farmers were responsible.
Kosgei nevertheless called for independent verification in sensitive cases, underscoring the wider concern over public confidence in investigations involving pesticides.
The confrontation in Parliament reflects a larger challenge for Kenya’s pesticide regulator: maintaining public confidence while demonstrating, with transparent evidence, that chemicals used in agriculture are being properly assessed, monitored and controlled.
The PCPB describes its mandate as regulating the importation, manufacture, transport, sale, disposal and safe use of pest-control products.
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