KEPHIS warns proposed seed law could threaten food security, hurt farmers
The Bill seeks to speed up the approval of seed varieties and remove delays that have hindered access to improved and climate-resilient seeds.
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) has raised a red flag over a proposed law that would overhaul the country’s seed regulation system, warning that the move could severely affect food security and hurt farmers.
Following a board meeting, the agency called on the Senate to reject the Seeds and Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes transferring the seed certification role from KEPHIS to the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), creating two separate regulators under different ministries.
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“KEPHIS regulates the quality of seed and provides certification, but it is now proposed that this function be transferred to KEBS, which will confuse,” said Board Chair Joseph M’eruaki.
“One item, seed, cannot be regulated under two ministries.”
The Bill seeks to speed up the approval of seed varieties and remove delays that have hindered access to improved and climate-resilient seeds. But KEPHIS says that the intended reforms would break the country’s seed control structure and make it easy for cartels to flood the market with poor-quality seeds for their own benefit.
“This Bill threatens to derail Kenya’s ability to guarantee farmers access to quality-assured seeds,” said Managing Director Prof. Theophilus Mutui. He added that the agency is not only responsible for seed certification but also plays a major role in preventing pests from entering the country through ports and cargo inspections.
According to the agency, giving KEBS a role in seed regulation would lead to overlap, confusion, and weak coordination. Officials say it would reduce the effectiveness of the current quality control systems, hurt farmers, and create a lack of accountability between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade.
“This is about the future of farming in Kenya. Poor-quality seeds mean poor harvests, and poor harvests mean food insecurity,” M’eruaki stated.
KEPHIS expressed fear that certain powerful players are behind the Bill and are keen to take advantage of a divided system to profit at the expense of small-scale farmers.
Although backers of the Bill argue it will ease the process of accessing improved seeds and reduce red tape, KEPHIS insists that such changes must not come at the cost of quality control, transparency, or the protection of farmers and the country’s food system.
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