Kenyan scientists defend voluntary adoption of Bt maize in ongoing High Court case
Farmers will retain full freedom to choose between GM, hybrid, improved, or indigenous seed varieties.
KENYA – Kenyan scientists have defended the commercialisation of genetically modified maize, telling the High Court in Kisumu that farmers will not be compelled to adopt the technology once it enters the market.
Appearing before Justice Joe Omido, seed breeder Dr. Stephen Mugo testified that the uptake of Bt maize (Zea mays MON 89034) will be entirely voluntary, with growers retaining the freedom to select from genetically modified, hybrid, improved or indigenous seed varieties.
“Farmers will retain full freedom to choose between GM, hybrid, improved, or indigenous seed varieties,” Dr. Mugo told the Court during cross-examination by lawyers representing petitioners challenging the crop’s field cultivation and market placement.
“In fact, many farmers customarily enhance indigenous varieties through natural crosspollination. Cross-pollination with Bt maize does not eliminate indigenous varieties; rather, it may introduce beneficial traits such as pest resistance,” he noted.
The case was filed by Mr. Moses Pius Ouma and others against the National Biosafety Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS).
Petitioners are seeking to block open field cultivation and commercial distribution of Bt maize.
Food security and pest management focus
Dr. Mugo argued that adoption of Bt maize would support national food security and address mounting pest pressures in the country’s maize sector.
He urged the Court to dismiss the case opposing commercialisation, noting that current pest control methods rely heavily on chemical pesticides that are costly and carry environmental and health risks.
“Currently used chemical control methods pose problems of high pesticide costs and application risks, direct and indirect damage to human and livestock health, damage to the environment, and development of resistance to the pesticides,” he told the Court.
He further cited Kenya’s experience with Bt cotton, introduced more than five years ago, saying there had been no monopolization by trait owners nor disputes arising from pollen flow among farmers.
On yield performance, Dr. Mugo stated that substantial evidence shows that Bt maize contributes to higher effective grain yields by protecting crops from insect damage and competing weeds, respectively.
“Yield increases in farmers’ fields are ultimately the result of many factors, including genetics, agronomy, soil fertility, water availability, pest and weed control, and GMO traits, which are one tool among several,” he added.
Bt maize MON 89034 was approved for commercialisation by the National Biosafety Authority in 2025.
The variety was developed using modern biotechnology to confer resistance against key pests such as maize stem borers and fall armyworm, both of which have caused significant production losses in Kenya.
According to court submissions, Kenya loses more than 400,000 metric tonnes of maize annually to stem borers, representing losses exceeding USD 90 million.
The threat intensified after the fall armyworm invasion in 2016. A reported quarter of Kenya’s 2.9 million hectares under maize was infested in 2017, leading to losses of over 134,000 metric tonnes valued at more than USD 30 million.
Dr. Mugo emphasized that the technology is an additional tool to boost productivity and strengthen food and nutritional security, particularly for smallholder farmers facing increasing pest pressure.
The Bt maize application was jointly submitted to the National Biosafety Authority by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).
The hearing is set to continue on June 2 and 3, 2026, as the Court examines the scientific, regulatory and food security implications of commercialising Bt maize in Kenya.
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