The current hunger ravaging parts of the country will only exist for few more months before a new maize variety hits the farms.
Biotechnology experts meeting at Egerton University Friday said the new maize variety can grow under very low rainfall, and is resistant to stock borer pests in the farm. The Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) developed through biotechnology by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and partners, will be suited for drier areas of Kenya where recurrent drought leads to serious farm losses. The scientists were speaking during the launch of the Egerton Chapter of the Kenya University Biotechnology Consortium (KUBICO).
Prof C.I. Muleke who opened the meeting on behalf of Vice-Chancellor James Tuitoek said the current ban on genetic foods affects food security. The don said genetic engineering is a process under strict regulatory regime and has been proven safe. “This technology is used even in human medicine to make vaccines and drugs,” said Prof Muleke.
The Consortium Secretary General, Dr Joel W. Ochieng, said the government had invested in key installments that prepare the ground for technology uptake such as increased budgetary allocation to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) from 1% to 2% of total revenue, expansion on the number of public Universities that offer biotechnology courses, support for incubation centers, and direct government funding to biotech research, many of which involve developing crops through genetic engineering.
Dr Ochieng, who is also a senior researcher at the University of Nairobi, said the ban was a major impediment to government efforts toward a key Millennium Development Goal (MDG), of cutting the number of hungry people by half by 2015. The body asked Kenyans not to fear genetic foods since they undergo rigorous safety assessments and Kenya has put in place competent biosafety regulations to assure product safety.
They said GM technology would increase food security, attract agribusiness investments, promote biotech entrepreneurship by the youth for job creation, and would position the country among the major players in the biotech economy. KUBICO aims to strengthen infrastructure for biotech research, promote enrolments into biotech courses, and enhance public understanding and adoption of profitable farming technologies.
The forum was attended by biotechnology experts from plant breeding, biochemistry, biotechnology, and public health.
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