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The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has revealed its intention to collaborate with curriculum developers in Kenya to incorporate biosafety principles into the educational framework for students.
Nehemiah Ng’etich, the NBA’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, explained that this initiative aims to ensure that students understand the critical issues surrounding biotechnology and biosafety early on, particularly for those pursuing careers in biotechnology.
“We now have the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), and biosafety topics must be included,” Ng’etich stated at an internal stakeholders’ engagement event.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is responsible for designing curricula for basic education and the tertiary sector, while universities independently create their own curricula.
The government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) focuses on transforming agriculture, fostering inclusive growth, supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), advancing housing and healthcare, promoting the digital economy, and enhancing the creative industries.
These goals are aimed at reducing the cost of living, eradicating hunger, creating jobs, and improving Kenya’s foreign exchange balance.
Without sufficient knowledge in biosafety and biotechnology, Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals are unlikely to be achieved.
The NBA also announced plans to strengthen its collaboration with county governments to ensure the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their by-products in Kenya.
Ng’etich shared that two public universities have recently approached the authority for partnerships in biotechnology research and development.
In October 2023, the High Court upheld the government’s decision to lift the ban on GMOs, confirming the legal and institutional framework regulating GMOs in Kenya.
The NBA reassured the public of the safety of GMOs and their derived products, highlighting the country’s well-established legal, regulatory, and institutional systems that ensure the safe handling of GMOs and related products.
The framework includes specific guidelines for GMO applications, safety assessments, and monitoring, aligned with Kenya’s commitment to food safety, environmental protection, and the socio-economic welfare of its citizens.
The NBA’s mandate covers genetically modified plants, animals, veterinary vaccines, and genetically modified microorganisms.
