The nascent Cabinet of President William Ruto’s administration is now divided and appears to be reading from different scripts over the debate on lifting of the ban on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) foods and crops that have since been barred by the High Court.
Today, for the first time, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has disassociated himself from the sentiments of Trade and Investment counterpart Moses Kuria saying he will not be dragged to social media pronouncements.
Similarly, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said order to import maize should originate from the Ministry of Agriculture and not the Trade docket.
Mudavadi said Kuria should let Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi deal with maize importation issue.
During their swearing in of CSs at State House, president Ruto said the cabinet will adopt collective responsibility of all happenings in the various dockets.
However, the CSs have strayed with Kuria seemingly to be a lone ranger usurping his counterparts’ powers.
Linturi has said he is the custodian of how much food we need and how much is the deficit.
“So I will not answer to what is being reported in the social media. Hold your horses because I want to give you a position that I am ready to defend. I need to have statistics before I can answer that.” Linturi said.
On his part, Mudavadi said that: “It is the Agriculture docket that will issue an importation order looking at the food situation in the country.”
Today, the High Court in Nairobi has temporarily barred the government from importing and subsequent distribution of the controversial GMO foods and crops in the country pending the hearing and determination of a case filed by the Kenyan Peasants League.
Further, Lady Justice Mugure Thande gagged the government from gazetting and acting on the Cabinet Memo that lifted the ban until the matter is dispensed.
“That pending the hearing and determination of this Application, this Honourable Court be pleased to issue an injunctive and/or conservatory Order prohibiting the Respondents herein either by themselves, their agents or through such other person acting under their instructions from gazetting or acting upon the contents of Dispatch from the Cabinet authored by the Executive Office of the President of Kenya, dated 03 October 2022 (“Cabinet’s Dispatch on GMO”), regarding the lifting of the ban on the genetically modified organisms (GMO crops) or gazetting other directive or decision similar to the said decision dated 03 October 2022.” The order reads in part.
“It is hereby ordered: that the petition and application be served upon all parties by close of business on Monday, November 28, 2022, that the responses be served by December 13, 2022.” Justice Thande ruled.
The case will be mentioned on December 15, 2022, for directions.
Lifting of the ban on genetically engineered foods by the cabinet without adequate public participation has faced growing rejection by the Azimio One Kenya Coalition led by Raila Odinga, lobby groups and farmers.
Raila is set to launch countrywide public foras on the matter beginning Wednesday at Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi and replicate the same across the country.
The move is expected to heighten political tension between the government and the opposition amid fears of possible return of widespread mass protests.
