Abstract:
Kenya has a biosafety law and has tested genetically modified (GM) maize under confinement and
containment, but has neither released nor commercialized any GM crop. This study assessed various
maize food products from the Kenyan farms and markets for the inadvertent presence of GMOs. It
assessed the possibility of ‘gene-flow’ to the maize farms near the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
(KARI), Kiboko where Bt maize was grown in confined field trials (CFT) during 2005 to 2006. The
multistage sampling technique was used, while the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and lateral-strip
methods were used to analyze 120 food samples. Of these, 6.7% tested positive for cry1Ab, a globally
commercialized gene, but were negative for cry1Ba, a non-commercialized gene. Neither cry1Ab nor
cry1Ba genes were found in any of the maize certified seed samples. No ‘gene-flow’ was detected within
the vicinity of the Kiboko CFT site. The maize imported into Kenya contained Bt genetic elements.
Nevertheless, the confinement regulatory measures employed during the CFTs at Kiboko were effective.
There is a need to enforce declaration of GM or non-GM and conduction of regulatory detection of food
imports and for labelling of food products to enable consumers to make informed choices on what they
buy and consume.