The Member of Parliament representing Kamukunji Constituency at Kenya National Assembly, Yusuf Hassan, has said that Kenya lacks the science and technology needed to generate seedlings of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
In an interview on Tuesday, Hassan stated that in addition to the debates surrounding cancer and other illnesses, the GMO issue needs to be taken seriously.
In his words, “The biggest problem that GMO has is the seedlings that you will be buying are produced by three transnational companies”.
Speaking further, he said, “In Kenya, we are not lucky to be the producers of those seeds which means if we introduce GMO for example maize, those seedlings with the crossbreed will interfere with the genetics factor of our food production”.
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He maintained that If the genetics factor is interfered with, the traditional food chain and food systems will be destroyed and we’ll be left from buying seeds from the monopolies as we cannot reproduce them, adding that the GMO issue is crucial and cannot be left in the hands of a select group of people or politicians.
He said that there is nothing wrong in discussing and introducing GMOs if one has the scientific facts.
Story was adapted from the Star.
