A recent performance audit by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has uncovered significant weaknesses in Kenya's pesticide regulatory framework, exposing millions to potentially hazardous pesticides in their food.

The audit highlights that dangerous pesticides continue to circulate freely due to inadequate enforcement, severe staffing shortages at the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), limited farmer education, and insufficient scientific monitoring.

Key Findings of the Audit

  • Regulatory Weaknesses: The PCPB has failed to effectively monitor and enforce pesticide supply, use, and disposal regulations, allowing unauthorized products to be sold and used by farmers.
  • Staffing Shortages: Only 64 officers are employed against an approved 267, hampering inspections, enforcement, and public education efforts.
  • Increased Inspections but Rising Illegal Trade: Inspections rose by 76% from 2021-22 to 2024-25, yet seizures of expired, counterfeit, and unregistered pesticides surged.
  • Licensing Lapses: Businesses previously prosecuted for illegal pesticide sales continued to receive licenses, exposing consumers to repeated violations.
  • Poor Follow-Up and Compliance Monitoring: More than half of agro-dealers reported no follow-up visits after initial inspections; corrective actions lack timelines and monitoring.
  • Farmer Education Gaps: Only 29% of farmers surveyed received training on safe pesticide use, compared to 65% of agro-dealers, linked to inadequate extension officer coverage.
  • Unsafe Farming Practices: Reports of intercropping cotton with food crops, misuse of herbicides, and improper disposal of containers increase contamination risks.
  • Limited Scientific Review and Testing: Only 40 out of 420 active pesticide ingredients have been reviewed; testing equipment is insufficient, and environmental monitoring is minimal.
  • Export Challenges: The European Union has tightened pesticide residue standards, leading to a 54.7% drop in fresh vegetable exports between 2023 and 2024.
  • Coordination Failures: Poor collaboration between national and county agencies undermines effective pesticide regulation and enforcement.

Implications for Public Health and Agriculture

The audit’s findings underscore a growing risk to food safety and environmental health in Kenya. Unsafe pesticide use can contaminate food, soil, and water, posing serious health hazards. Additionally, failure to meet international pesticide standards threatens Kenya’s agricultural export markets, as demonstrated by declining fresh vegetable shipments to the EU.

Addressing these challenges requires urgent improvements in regulatory enforcement, staffing, farmer education, scientific monitoring, and inter-agency cooperation to safeguard public health and restore confidence in Kenya’s agricultural produce.