The Ministry of Agriculture prohibited the importation of pesticides that were not authorised by the country of origin or by the US, Canada, Australia, or the EU.
In a statement released on Monday, June 23, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe stated that the government would not permit the registration of a pesticide that has been prohibited internationally by multilateral environmental agreements.
According to the CS, the Pest Control Product Board (PCPB) has banned 77 end-use products from the Kenyan market and further limited the application of 202 additional products on different crops that were judged unsuitable.
Kagwe asserts that the board verified that the products included substances that, if applied to crops, posed serious health risks.
Furthermore, the PCPB is currently scrutinising 151 other products, which remain prohibited for import, and will issue feedback on their legitimacy by December 2025, according to Kagwe.
"To further safeguard the public, the Ministry has directed that all pest control products considered for registration in Kenya must be registered in their country of origin," the statement read.
"PCPB undertook a thorough review of 430 end-use products, utilising scientific information provided by applicants and reviews of regulatory decisions made by reputable international agencies on respective molecules contained in the products," it added.
According to Kagwe, the government has further reviewed the Draft Pest Control Product bill, which has received a green light from the cabinet and will be tabled in Parliament, to reinforce the regulation of pest control products in the country.
The agriculture boss has asserted that enhanced regulation oversight of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals will be fundamental in promoting sustainable agriculture in the country and ensuring food safety standards.
Kagwe, in a statement on June 11, had issued a stern warning to cartels, who have in the past two months tried to sabotage the government's efforts to eliminate toxic pesticides.
The CS said that the cartels have been using unlawful strategies such as bribing legislative and regulatory bodies to block governments' efforts to enforce food safety standards.
Kagwe further said that the cartels have also used their influence to ensure that the media reports positive things about the banned agrochemicals in the Kenyan market.
"You can expect these determined to produce the pesticides that you don't want to fight back. They will fight back through the media to ensure that they are reporting good things, they will also fight back in our legislative houses by bribing members of parliament and others to ensure that they have their agenda being sustained by the ministry," Kagwe said.
