Kenya’s proposed Seeds and Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill 2025, sponsored by Senator Ledama Olekina, has faced strong pushback from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), even as Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe reiterates the need for protecting farmers against fraudulent inputs.
The Bill aims to establish a parallel seed registration and certification system under the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), operating alongside the existing KEPHIS-led framework. Proponents argue this will slash the current four‑year approval period to just six months, improving access to certified seeds.
KEPHIS, the technical authority under the Ministry of Agriculture, strongly opposes the shift, warning that transferring certification responsibilities to KEBS could compromise seed quality assurance and reduce oversight of counterfeit seed threats.Their leadership fears the creation of regulatory confusion and proliferation of fake inputs.
Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, who officially assumed his agriculture docket earlier this year, has consistently advocated for tougher legal penalties. Appearing before Parliament in February, he urged lawmakers to introduce legislation mandating up to 10‑year jail sentences—without fines—for individuals dealing in fake seeds or counterfeit fertiliser, framing the issue as a national security threat.
While the Bill aims to fast-track access to improved, climate-resilient seed varieties, critics—including civil society groups and farmer organizations—warn it may inadvertently weaken existing oversight, expose farmers to substandard seeds, and centralize control in ways that disadvantage smallholder systems.
Public participation forums are ongoing. Lawmakers are expected to debate and finalise the Bill in the coming weeks—potentially by late August 2025. As the process unfolds, the government faces the challenge of balancing innovation, regulatory integrity, and farmer rights.