The Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Boss Shollei has raised a concerning issue regarding the sale of potentially harmful fertilizers in Kenya.
On Tuesday, she announced the submission of a petition that calls for the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary to appear before Parliament and provide an explanation for the continued availability of 267 harmful fertilizers in the Kenyan market. Shollei’s campaign is rooted in a comprehensive study conducted by 20 researchers from the University of Nairobi, documented in the Pesticide Atlas which has confirmed the presence of these dangerous products in Kenya. Many of these substances are prohibited in the United States and Europe due to their harmful effects.
Shollei has expressed particular concern over a product known as Roundup, which was ostensibly banned in Kenya but has resurfaced under a different brand name. The Woman Representative has not shied away from confronting powerful interests in her quest to protect public health. She reveals that her initial efforts to remove these harmful products from the market were met with death threats. Shollei pointa out the hypocrisy of these companies selling products in Kenya that are illegal in their countries of origin.
The implications of using these harmful fertilizers are severe with Shollei citing a case in the United States where a farmer developed cancer after using Roundup and was awarded $250 million in a lawsuit against the manufacturer. Despite previous efforts to address this issue, progress has been slow. In 2019, Shollei presented a petition to Parliament calling for a ban on all harmful herbicides and pesticides. However, only a few of the identified pesticides have been banned since then. Shollei has expressed frustration with the Pest Products Control Board and the Parliamentary Health Committee, accusing them of failing to take necessary action to safeguard public health.
The issue of harmful pesticides in Kenya extends beyond fertilizers. A study conducted in February 2023 by researchers from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) investigated the potential link between pesticide use and rising cancer rates in the Mount Kenya region. The findings revealed that many pesticides used in Kenya contain carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxic substances. Shollei’s call to action has garnered support from various stakeholders. In October 2022, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, a German non-profit organization, urged an end to the importation of toxic pesticides into Kenya.
The organization emphasized that these products, banned in their countries of origin, continue to pose significant health risks to the Kenyan population. The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly has joined the chorus of voices calling for change, urging the Ministry of Agriculture to take prompt action to halt the import of these harmful pesticides. Additionally, there have been calls for relevant bodies to follow the example set by countries like the US and Europe in compensating farmers who have developed health problems due to the use of these pesticides.
Baada ya uhuru mnamo mwaka…
Baada ya uhuru mnamo mwaka wa 1963, wabeberu waliendelea kujiuliza kana kwamba Waafrika walikuwa tayari kujitawala. Wanasiasa wanyakuzi wa ardhi wa nyakati tuwajuao waliwakashifu kwa bezo huku wakiharakisha kuwatimua nchini. Wakati mkufunzi wa chuo kimoja Marekani alipodai kwamba utafiti wake ulibaini ya kwamba Waafrika wa asili ya Kiafrika walikuwa na fikra punguani, sote tulianza kujikuna kuna kichwa dhidi ya matusi hayo yaliokejeri. Ni kama miye, nimeanza kuona ukweli wa madai hayo. Kisa na maana? Vitendo tuvyonavyo kutoka haswa kwa viongozi wa Kiafrika inadhibisha madai hayo. Hebu yakumbuke matendo ya marais wa nchi kama vile vya marais wa awali wa nchi za Kenya, Uganda, Chad, Morroco, Algeria, Misri, Nigeria, Algeria, Gambia, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Congo, Botswana, Namibia na nchi nyinginezo. Visa vya kukatalia uongozini, ulaji mlungura, unyanyasaji wa wakosoanji, utekaji nyara, uuaji, nk. Ukivizitazama vitendo vya watawala hao, utaelewa ni kwanini ninaposema kuwa na Waafrika wanazo kasro za kimaumbile. Maamuzi, utendaji, na utekelezaji wa mambo inaacha maswali mengi yanayoiibua hisia tatanishi. Wizi wa sukari sumu, uuzaji wa mbolea iliyosumu, uporaji wa mali ya umma, kubobea kazini ifikapo ni kuwashtaki wezi wa mali ya umma nk, unaiweka nchi ya Kenya katika hali tatanishi.
Watu wa sili ya KICOHO…
Watu wa sili ya KICOHO hawana kasoro yoyote akilini mwao. Kasoro waliyo nayo ni moja tu: kutojiamini na kuiga tabia za ajabu za yule mnyama ambaye ni bingwa wa kubadilisha rangi ya ngozi yake ili aisiwe rahisi kumuona na kumtambua alipo.
Kwanza nini mwanaCOHO huwa mwepesi:
1. Kuchukua majina ya watu wa mataifa mengine na kuona haya kutumia majina yake ya asili?
2. Kudharau lugha zake za asili na kujitumbukiza na kumthamini lugha ya watu wengine?
3. Kuiga mila za watu wengine?
4. Kujitumbukiza kwenye imani bandia za watu wengine, na huku hajui ya kwamba, kabla Ndugu na dada zetu wa kigeni kufika kwetu, mababu zetu walikuwa na imani zao zilizowatosheleza mahitaji yao na imani zao.
5. Kuchukua rangi ya ngozi yao na maumbile ya nywele zao?