By Kimuri Mwangi
The safety, regulation, and responsible use of pest control products took centre stage at the GLOBALG.A.P. Tourstop 2025 in Nairobi, where farmers, government regulators and industry leaders held candid discussions on pesticide safety, market requirements, enforcement challenges, and innovations shaping the sector.
Delegates and the media took the industry stakeholders to task concerning some of the issues that have been trending in the country concerning pest control products.
Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) Chief Executive Officer, Fredrick Muchiri, reminded participants that governments worldwide have a responsibility to shield citizens from the dangers of pesticides. “Every government all over the world has a duty to protect its citizens from the harmful effects of pesticides. We all understand that pesticides are toxic substances, and that is where we derive their use from. Otherwise, if they are not toxic, they would not be performing the work of killing pests,” he said.
He noted that in Kenya, the PCPB, established in 1985, serves as the statutory body tasked with ensuring pest control products meet safety and quality standards.
“Products used on non-consumables are also evaluated to ensure their safety to the operators, safety to the environment, and any other parameter that is associated with the pesticide in use,” he added.
One of the most heated topics was Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), often misunderstood as a direct health measure. Muchiri clarified: “MRL is not a measure of safety. It is a market standard. The fact that a certain region has certain MRLs, which are different from other regions, does not mean that those who use the pesticides are actually poisoning themselves. That is not true.”
He stressed that while the EU often enforces stricter MRLs than International Codex standards, these should be understood in the context of trade. “If you have to market a certain food commodity to the EU, you must meet their standards. Other countries like Australia, Canada, and Japan also have different sets of rules for products to access their markets,” he explained.
The PCPB boss acknowledged persistent challenges with cross-border trade, particularly at the Kenya–Tanzania border, where pesticide shops on the Tanzanian side supplied Kenyan farms. He, however, said increased presence of officers and collaboration with border control and security agencies had reduced illegal inflows.
“We have reduced the problem by close to about 70-80%,” he opined.
On counterfeit pesticides and illegal imports, Muchiri emphasized ongoing risk assessment and enforcement mechanisms. “Kenya is the only country in Africa that is undertaking risk assessment in a regulatory decision-making process. The safety of Kenyans is safety to the consumer, safety to the user, the applicator, the people, the operators,” he said.
In response to public concerns sparked by media reports on pesticide residues in fresh produce, Muchiri pointed to PCPB’s testing capabilities. “We have the capacity to analyse pesticide formulations, undertake residue analysis to determine the types of pest control products used on food commodities,” he said.
Following reports of unsafe tomatoes in circulation, the board conducted random sampling of potatoes, tomatoes, kales, and onions from both farms and markets. “I can assure you the level of compliance was commendable,” Muchiri said. Similarly, after concerns over Nyandarua potatoes, fresh laboratory tests confirmed their safety. “I want to assure you, the potatoes in Nyandarua are safe,” he said.
Muchiri underscored that interceptions of Kenyan produce in export markets are rarely due to the pesticides themselves but rather misuse by farmers. “Interceptions usually arise when farmers do not follow good agricultural practices when it comes to the application of pesticides. So, it is not the pesticide itself. It is the way the pesticide is used,” he explained.
He likened pesticide use to medical prescriptions. “When the label says apply a certain pesticide to control a certain pest on a particular crop at this rate, and the PHI is supposed to be this, this is a prescription, and it should be adhered to. Anything to the contrary will lead to different results,” he cautioned.
To address this, PCPB, in collaboration with industry bodies, has introduced a training programme targeting extension officers to promote responsible pesticide use. “It is expected that once this is done, the incidences of interceptions will come down,” Muchiri said.
Eric Kimunguyi, Chief Executive Officer of aak-GROW/Croplife, highlighted the role of toxicological profiles in pesticide approval. “You have to provide data that shows that that product, if applied on the crop, whatever remnants can remain in the field, is still safe, it can be utilised by consumers, and also it can be traded,” he said.
Kimunguyi emphasized that disputes over MRLs are largely about trade requirements. “Usually, when people say these products are an issue with EU MRLs, they always think about toxicology. It’s all about trade standards that are quite different,” he clarified.
On stewardship, he said responsible companies were committed to phasing out highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs). “We have almost zero HHPs. And the reason why we are doing that, we are developing what we call a sustainable business management framework,” he stated.
Kimunguyi also highlighted innovations aimed at reducing farmer exposure, including the use of drones for pesticide application and the deployment of trained service providers. “These are farmers who are trained, who have the knowledge, they have the personal protective equipment, and they can apply on behalf of the farmer,” he said.
He, however, cautioned against the abrupt withdrawal of products without clear alternatives, warning that this could drive farmers to the black market. “That ends up with what we call a regrettable substitution, because you don’t get the results of your regulatory action,” he warned.
Both Muchiri and Kimunguyi underscored the need for harmonization of pest control regulations within the East African Community (EAC) to curb illegal trade and streamline standards for regional farmers. Kimunguyi said differences in national regulations often create loopholes. “One of them appears to be a mature economy. It is something that the EAC harmonisation tool is going to address. It’s moving slowly at the moment, but finally we are going to reach the level of standard use of regulation,” he said.
As discussions at the GLOBALG.A.P. Tourstop 2025 made clear, pest control products remain critical to Kenya’s agricultural productivity and exports, but their use requires strict regulation, careful stewardship, and farmer education. Regulators and industry stakeholders agreed that balancing food safety, environmental protection, and market access will demand not only science-driven decisions but also closer collaboration across borders, value chains, and regulatory systems.
