PlanningGazette notice
Gazette Notice No. 15140 of 2025
NEMA invites public comments on Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization's proposed commercialization of genetically modified cassava in 18 counties.
Official PDF · 1.4 MB
Whole issue, from Kenya Law. This notice starts on printed page 7218.
AI-extractedAgreement between models, not verified accuracy.
What the notice says
-
Public comments
Link- Issuing authority
- National Environment Management Authority (Received the Environmental Impact Assessment Study Report and invites oral or written comments.)
- Proponent
- Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (Proposes commercialization of genetically modified cassava.)
- Place
- Lamu (County included in the proposed project.), Kilifi (County included in the proposed project.), Kwale (County included in the proposed project.), Taita Taveta (County included in the proposed project.), Makueni (County included in the proposed project.), Kitui (County included in the proposed project.), Machakos (County included in the proposed project.), Tharaka Nithi (County included in the proposed project.), Embu (County included in the proposed project.), Nakuru (County included in the proposed project.), Baringo (County included in the proposed project.), Kakamega (County included in the proposed project.), Bungoma (County included in the proposed project.), Busia (County included in the proposed project.), Vihiga (County included in the proposed project.), Kisumu (County included in the proposed project.), Migori (County included in the proposed project.), Homabay (County included in the proposed project.), NHIF Building (Report inspection address.), Ragati Road (Report inspection address.), Upper Hill (Report inspection address.), Nairobi (Report inspection addresses.), Popo Road (Report inspection address.), Mombasa Road (Report inspection address.)
- Body
- NBA (Regulatory approvals and public sensitization mentioned in the mitigation measures.), KEPHIS (Regulatory approval required before commercial release.), Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Foresty (Report available for inspection.)
- Office
- Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Foresty (Report available for inspection during working hours.), Director-General, National Environment Management Authority (Report available for inspection; recipient of public comments.)
- Comments
- 30 days, as printed
- Comment period
- within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice
- Project
- proposed commercialization of genetically modified cassava in 18 counties across Kenya
- Project purpose
- robust and durable resistance to CMD (cassava mosaic disease) and CBSD (cassava brown streak disease)
- Report reference
- NEMA/ENVIS/SR/00083
- Report website
- www.nema.go.ke
- Comment method
- oral or written comments
Schedule 15 rows
| Impacts | Mitigation Measures |
|---|---|
| Illegal release and inadequate access to planting material | • Prevent illegal release of stem cuttings within confined fields until all approvals are acquired. • Engage in seed multiplication of the approved varieties for availability of clean planting materials. • Segregate the best performing GM varieties based on their suitable agro-ecological zones. • Institute prior mechanism using existing protocols for an all-inclusive varietal naming exercise. |
| Non-adherence to existing protocols | • Adhere to all relevant local and international policies, legal and regulatory frameworks. • Ensure prior acquisition of all regulatory approvals from NBA, KEPHIS and NEMA before commercial release. • Ensure adequate public participation is undertaken during the ESIA exercise to foster public awareness. |
| Perceived food Safety concerns | • Availability of NBA approval declaring the GM cassava varieties as safe for food, feed and environment. • Possession of the approval for commercial release is an indicator that all safety protocols have been met and ascertained. |
| Poor Access & availability of planting material | • Foster collaborative engagements with County governments to facilitate smooth flow of information. • Collaborate with existing cassava partners to offer training to cassava seed entrepreneurs to enhance seed multiplication. • Establish demonstration farms in KALRO satellite stations undertaking multiplication and bulking of cultivars |
| Limited Knowledge | • Utilize the existing KALRO stations undertaking multiplication and bulking of cultivars to offer practical sessions to all relevant stakeholders. • Partnership with County agricultural extension officers to disseminate information to farmers on suitable GM cassava varieties. • Conduct trainings and sensitization workshops to create awareness on the best cultivation practices for best production levels. |
| Poor storage techniques | • Adopt traditional storage mechanisms to extend shelf-life of harvested GM cassava. • Embrace the use of hermetic bags for cassava storage which is a chemical free method. • Train farmers on small-scale processing of cassava into basic products • Adopt the GM cassava as a high value crop and fast truck completion of CAIPs to provide decentralized, climate-smart storage and processing facilities. • Encourage staggered planting seasons to minimize oversupply during harvesting periods and minimize post-harvest loses. |
| Climate change variability | • Farmers to adopt climate-smart farming practices. • Encourage adoption of climate-smart GM cassava varieties through selection of approved varieties considered tolerant to drought and heat. • Farmers to embrace water management measures to mitigate against drought effects. • Sensitize farmers to employ integrated pest and disease management strategies. |
| Pest &Diseases | • Commercially release the GM cassava varieties resistant to CMD & CBSD. • Ensure farmers can access clean planting materials in KALRO stations. • Discourage farmers from acquisition of planting materials from uncertified sources • Encourage farmers with adequate land to be trained as cassava seed entrepreneur (CSE) to avail clean planting materials. |
| Soil contamination | • Farmers to practice crop rotation and diversification to maintain healthy soils. • Promote the adoption of genetically modified cassava varieties resistant to diseases. • Farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices such as contour cultivation, closer plant spacing etc • The GM cassava varieties release to eradicate the application of chemical insecticides thus lowering pesticide residues in soil, water and food. |
| Water loss | • The drought-tolerant GM cassava will ensure sustainable management by thriving in hot and dry regions with water-scarcity. • Similarly, to the convention varieties, the approved GM cassava will self-regulate through natural processes. • Canopy formation in the GM varieties during its growth period will reduce evaporation in the soil surface. • Encourage farmers to apply mulch (e.g. organic straws or leaves) around the base of young cassava. • Encourage farmers to periodically undertake weed control. |
| Public fear due to misconceptions | • Engage in continuous targeted public sensitization and awareness campaigns. • Set up demonstration farms within KALRO satellite stations to promote practical learning and observation for farmers and other stakeholders. • NBA can consider spearheading a nationwide campaign to sensitize the public on the importance of GM crops developed using biotechnology. |
| Inadequate market and poor prices | • Enhance links between cassava farmers and potential buyers through formation or activation of farmer groups, cooperative societies etc. • Encourage farmers and processors to explore value addition of cassava • Establish collaborations between County governments and farmer groups to create programmes that boost market accessibility and market prices. |
| Perceived cyanide toxicity fears | • The developed and approved GM cassava varieties have cyanogenic levels within permissible limits. • The low cyanogenic levels make all the approved 8 varieties sweet thus eradicating the bitter varieties. • The approved GM cassava varieties will guarantee more safety to famers who consume cassava leaves as vegetables due to the low cyanogenic levels. |
| Cultural perceptions e.g. poor man’s crop | • Promote public awareness and sensitization on cassava production to adopt and consider the crop’s importance based on nutritional value and financial benefit. |
| Prolonged maturity period | • All approved varieties have an early maturity period of between 8-12 months therefore inspiring its adoption by farmers who had shifted to other fast-growing crops. |
Everyone named
| Signed by | Mamo B. Mamo, Director-General, National Environment Management Authority |
|---|---|
| Places 24 | Lamu · Kilifi · Kwale · Taita Taveta · Makueni · Kitui · Machakos · Tharaka Nithi · Embu · Nakuru · Baringo · Kakamega · Bungoma · Busia · Vihiga · Kisumu · Migori · Homabay · NHIF Building · Ragati Road · Upper Hill · Nairobi · Popo Road · Mombasa Road |
| Bodies 3 | NBA · KEPHIS · Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Foresty |
| Offices 2 | Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Foresty · Director-General, National Environment Management Authority |
| Issuing authority | National Environment Management Authority |
| Proponent | Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization |
| Law 2 | Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act · Co-ordination Act |
Pages for private people, including the deceased and petitioners, are public, but we ask search engines not to list them.
Corrections 0
- Corrected by
- No corrigendum in the issues we hold.
- Refers to
- No other notices.
Cite
Kenya Gazette Notice No. 15140 of 2025, Vol. CXXVII No. 215, 16 October 2025, p. 7218.Permalink funua.com/notices/2025/15140/.
About this data
- Source
- Official PDF of Vol. CXXVII No. 215, from Kenya Law
- Extracted by
- AI models
- Model audit
- An independent model agreed with 98 to 99% of compared values for land and succession notices, 97% overall. Agreement between models, not verified accuracy.
- Review flag
- None on this notice
Filed under: Planning, 2025 · October 2025 · Vol. CXXVII No. 215