The civil society has applauded the government’s decision to ban 50 harmful pesticides but called for full implementation, stronger regulatory oversight and farmer-centred alternatives for a toxic-free food system.

Harun Warui, Programme lead at the Route to Food Initiative (RTFI), Anne Maina, (National Coordinator, Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA Kenya) and Eustaus Kiaire (Executive Director, Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN)), termed the government’s move as bold.

Minister’s order

Others who added their voice to the debate were Alice Kemunto, (Chief Executive Officer, Consumer Grassroots Association (CGA) and Easter Bett, (Executive Director, Resources Oriented Development Initiatives (RODI),  Asenath Wacera, Executive Director, Community Organisation’s Training for Risk Reduction (COTTR), Gloria Michira, (Programme Manager, Kenya Parliamentary Human Rights Association (KEPHRA) and Fredrick Onyango (Programme Officer, HHPs Programme, Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD).

Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced the ban of over 50 pesticides from the Kenyan market on May 7.

Kagwe announced that the government will ban 50 pesticide brands, particularly those prohibited in their countries of origin.

Speaking in Molo, Nakuru County, Kagwe said he had received a brief on the products from the Pest Control Products Board, which necessitated the plan to impose the ban.

“The Pest Products Control Board has brought to me a list of products, chemical products, that we have been importing from other countries for use to control our pests. They have told me about 50 products that we are going to stop their importation. Those products are now going to be made with the pesticides here in Kenya,” Kagwe said.

“If effectively implemented, this historic commitment marks a decisive step towards safeguarding human health and biodiversity and Kenya’s ecological integrity, aligning with global best practices, as stipulated by the FAO/WHO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management. This is a crucial step towards a safer, more sustainable food system. Legal Reforms to Address Chemical Double Standards,” the civil society leader said in a statement.

They added: “We further applaud the enactment of the Business Laws (Amendment) Act, 2024, Section

12(2) of the Standards Act (cap 496), gazetted on 13th December, 2024. This legislation introduces a provision addressing the issue of double standards in chemical regulation, whereby hazardous substances banned or severely restricted in exporting countries have continued to be imported and used in Kenya.”

 The Act provides a legislative foundation to support and enforce the announced ban of 50 pesticide products.

In April 2025, the National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation reignited parliamentary momentum on oversight of pesticide regulation.

Regulatory flaws

The committee reviewed the long-standing inaction on a 2019 parliamentary petition to review the withdrawal of hazardous pesticides.

The findings revealed deep regulatory flaws. The committee reaffirmed the urgent need to prioritize protecting human health, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability over corporate interests.

The civil society leaders expressed concern that several pesticide products, previously flagged for phase-out and scheduled to be withdrawn from the Kenyan market by December 31, 2024, remain openly available and in circulation.

“The continued presence and sale of these hazardous products undermines human health and environmental safety and erodes public confidence in regulatory enforcement mechanisms.

It is essential that past withdrawal deadlines are respected and that previously identified hazardous pesticides are entirely removed from the market to ensure regulatory integrity,” the statement said.