Do not force GMOs on Kenyans’ throats – Senator Maanzo

The lift came as a result of a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto on Monday, which sought to assess progress in the national response to the ongoing drought situation that has affected 23 counties.

Senator Maanzo opined that the move by Cabinet was unconstitutional and that a process should have been followed before lifting the ban, especially with the risks posed by consuming GMOs.

Maanzo said that cabinet should have engaged the public before finalizing on the decision, arguing that is was rushed.

"Kenyans have to be given this choice, I think this decision has been rushed, it has not followed public participation therefore it is unconstitutional and Kenyans should be up in arms against this especially the ones who do not support GMOs," he said speaking to KTN on Tuesday. 

"There must be a process on the approval of GMOs. If you want to bring them here it should be announced so that Kenyans can make a choice on whether we want to consume GMOs or not. So it should not be forced into the throats of Kenyans."

Maanzo went on to say that GMOs are much costly that the current food products Kenyans consume, claiming that the move is aimed at benefiting certain individuals than improving the welfare of Kenyans.

"GMOs need more herbicides than the normal products, they are even more expensive to grow and that is why proper information must be given. This is a serious commercial venture about people making money and not about the safety and welfare of Kenyans," he said.

"One of the side effects of the GMOs, and scientific researches have been conducted in the US and other places, is that some people are affected by cancer and some die from consuming this food. And its not a Kenyan problem but a worldwide problem."