In a compelling episode of LNN hosted by Lynn Ngugi, Mary Kongo, a Kenyan farmer and leadership and governance expert, addresses the alarming trend of agricultural policies that she claims are designed to surrender Kenya’s food production to multinational corporations. Kongo argues that the Kenyan government is acting as a “middleman,” auctioning its citizens’ rights to food sovereignty through a series of punitive parliamentary bills and the promotion of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This report outlines her concerns, the specific bills in question, and her urgent call for collective action to protect Kenya’s agricultural future.

The Horticulture Crop Bill 2024

Kongo highlights the Horticulture Crop Bill 2024, introduced by MP Sabina Chege, as a primary example of legislation that threatens small-scale farmers. This bill targets short-term crops like fruits, vegetables, onions, and garlic, imposing costly requirements such as:

• A NEMA certificate (minimum KSh 10,000).
• Soil and water analysis (minimum KSh 2,500 each).
• Manure analysis.

These costs, totaling at least KSh 60,000 per cycle (every three months for short-term crops), are unaffordable for small-scale farmers, who often earn less than KSh 20,000 per harvest. Kongo asserts that the bill shifts responsibility for food safety from government agencies (e.g., Kenya Bureau of Standards, county governments) to farmers, despite existing regulators already overseeing pesticides and market hygiene. She views this as an attempt to punish farmers for systemic government failures.

Other Agriculture-Related Bills

Kongo identifies a pattern across multiple bills currently under consideration in Parliament, including:

• Rice Bill
• Livestock Bill 2024
• Agriculture Professionals Bill
• Nuts and Oil Bill

These bills share common features:

• Mandatory registration with a board established by the Cabinet Secretary.
• A minimum diploma in agriculture as a prerequisite for registration.
• Fines starting at KSh 500,000 for non-compliance, with some reaching KSh 1 million.

Kongo argues that these requirements criminalize farming for the majority of Kenyan farmers—small-scale producers without formal education or financial resources—effectively excluding them from agriculture. She questions the lack of clarity on who qualifies as a “large-scale farmer,” noting that most food production in Kenya, even for urban centers like Nairobi, comes from small-scale farmers.

The Role of GMOs

The lifting of the GMO ban in 2022 under the current administration is cited as a catalyst for this legislative onslaught. Kongo contends that GMOs are not a viable solution for Kenya, pointing to:

• Increased production costs: GMO seeds require specific pesticides and herbicides, unaffordable for local farmers (e.g., the collapse of GMO cotton farming in Kenya).
• Loss of food sovereignty: Multinational companies like Monsanto control GMO seed production, potentially engineering seeds with harmful traits (e.g., targeting specific races or reducing fertility).
• Evidence from Zambia: Since adopting GMOs and monoculture in 2016, Zambia faces starvation and relies on imports, a warning for Kenya.

Kongo criticizes the lack of public participation or scientific review before lifting the ban, contrasting it with the Kibaki administration’s ban on GMOs due to health concerns like cancer.Government Failures

Kongo accuses the government of neglecting farmers through:

• Ineffective agencies: The 15 agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture (e.g., Kenya Seed Company, irrigation bodies) have failed to support farmers effectively.
• No value addition: The government has not invested in processing to reduce food waste (e.g., rotting tomatoes, mangoes, cassava) or enhance farmer incomes.
• Foreign ownership: She claims that even iconic entities like the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) are partly owned by foreign companies (e.g., Brook Bond, a British firm), with profits not benefiting Kenyan farmers.

She disputes government claims of stabilizing food prices, attributing recent harvests to favorable rains rather than policy success.

Government Failures

Kongo accuses the government of neglecting farmers through:

• Ineffective agencies: The 15 agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture (e.g., Kenya Seed Company, irrigation bodies) have failed to support farmers effectively.
• No value addition: The government has not invested in processing to reduce food waste (e.g., rotting tomatoes, mangoes, cassava) or enhance farmer incomes.
• Foreign ownership: She claims that even iconic entities like the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) are partly owned by foreign companies (e.g., Brook Bond, a British firm), with profits not benefiting Kenyan farmers.

She disputes government claims of stabilizing food prices, attributing recent harvests to favorable rains rather than policy success.

Health Concerns

Kongo links changes in food production to rising health issues:

• Cancer: Kenya ranks fourth in Africa for cancer cases, with an “outbreak” in regions like Meru (e.g., throat, esophagus, breast cancer).
• Infertility and autism: She notes an explosion in infertility rates and autistic children, suggesting a connection to GMOs and chemical-intensive farming, though she calls for more data.
• Food quality: Modern beans cause gas, unlike traditional varieties, and lactose intolerance is rising, indicating something has changed in staple foods.

She urges a national conversation involving doctors and scientists to investigate these trends.

Call to Action

Kongo proposes urgent actions for Kenyans:

• Educate and mobilize: Dedicate three hours daily to understanding bills and spreading awareness (e.g., sharing videos, discussing with farmers).
• Form cooperatives: Farmers should unite to pool resources, lobby policymakers, and navigate regulations.
• Legal action: She plans to petition the Ministry of Agriculture and sue Parliament to halt these bills, calling for pro bono lawyers to join the effort.
• Protect indigenous seeds: Establish community seed banks to safeguard traditional varieties against GMO encroachment.

She emphasizes that power lies with the people, not politicians, and that collective resistance is essential to stop this “auctioning” of Kenya’s future.

Conclusion

Mary Kongo’s discussion paints a dire picture of Kenya’s agricultural sector, where government policies allegedly favor multinational corporations over local farmers. The Horticulture Crop Bill 2024 and similar legislation threaten to criminalize small-scale farming, while the push for GMOs risks health, sovereignty, and sustainability. Her call for civic education, legal action, and a return to organic, community-driven agriculture underscores the need for Kenyans to reclaim control over their food system. As she asserts, “We the people have the power,” and it is through informed, united efforts that Kenya can resist this perceived takeover and protect its right to food sovereignty.