Kenya intensifies pesticide crackdown as illegal imports fall 95%

KENYA – Kenya is intensifying controls on pesticides, with the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) reporting a 95% reduction in unauthorised and smuggled products entering the country and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe ordering nationwide inspections of agrovet outlets.

The crackdown targets pesticides that are banned, counterfeit, expired, or otherwise unauthorised, as the government seeks to strengthen agricultural input safety and protect farmers, consumers, and food exports.

Kagwe said Kenya should not become a market for products rejected elsewhere on health and safety grounds.

“My pronouncement is clear: a pesticide banned anywhere in the world will be banned in Kenya. Within our region, if a product is banned in any one country, it should be banned in all countries within the EAC, and we are pushing for the same position across COMESA,” he said.

The minister made the remarks during engagements between the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Malindi.

PCPB CEO Fredrick Muchiri said the regulator now has officers deployed at 10 major gazetted border points and ports, compared with 2024 when it had no permanent officers stationed at points of entry.

Increased surveillance, including along porous sections of the Loitoktok border, has helped disrupt smuggling routes.

Inspections move to agrovet outlets

The government is now shifting greater attention to the domestic pesticide market.

PCPB has been directed to intensify inspections of agrovet shops to verify that products are registered, genuine, authorised and within their approved shelf life.

Expired, counterfeit, smuggled and unauthorised products found on shelves will be removed, with enforcement action taken against those responsible.

The regulator is also deploying spectrometer technology to identify counterfeit and non-conforming products.

More than 80% of cases arising from pesticide-related arrests have reportedly been successfully prosecuted.

The tougher enforcement follows a PCPB scientific review of 430 end-use pesticide products.

The review resulted in 77 products being withdrawn from the Kenyan market, while 202 were restricted on various crops and 151 placed under further review.

Muchiri also cautioned against interpreting the detection of pesticide residues as automatically meaning food is unsafe.

He said safety should be assessed against established Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), adding that about 80% of reported samples met the required standards, while all samples assessed against applicable MRLs were within prescribed limits.

The government is also strengthening farmer awareness.

PCPB has begun training county agricultural extension officers on pesticide regulation, identifying illegal products, responsible use, and food-safety requirements.

The measures are being extended to regional cooperation, with Kenya pushing for harmonised pesticide controls across the East African Community and COMESA to prevent products banned in one market from being redirected into another.

PCPB continues to face capacity constraints despite increased government funding.

Its Exchequer allocation has risen from about KSh114 million (US$0.88 million) in 2024 to KSh216 million (US$1.67 million) in the current financial year.

The regulator is seeking approximately KSh350 million (US$2.71 million) to recruit additional personnel and strengthen border surveillance, agrovet inspections and enforcement.

For Kenya’s agricultural sector, the expanded controls could affect crop production and the agricultural input supply chain, particularly as regulators seek to ensure farmers have access to legitimate, compliant crop protection products.

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