NAIROBI, Jan 5 (NNN-KBC) — President William Ruto defended his decision to lift a ban imposed on importation of genetically modified foods into Kenya.
According to the President, biotechnology foods are safe for human consumption and have no negative impact on people’s health whatsoever, and as such there should be no reason to oppose their importation.
“As the President of this country, I cannot endanger the lives of citizens who elected me,” he said during a Live TV interview.
“I am personally a scientist. All scientists in Kenya, as well as every university in the country agree with me that GMO foods have no problem at all,” he reiterated
Ruto who underscored his intention to make the country food secure gave an example of countries like South Africa and the United States which he said consume food products that are purely genetically modified.
“The whole of South Africa is 100% GMO. U.S is also 100% GMO, and so is the case in many other countries.”
“Have you heard of someone in South Africa who has grown horns because of GMO? Or have you heard of women who have grown beard because of GMO?” he posed
The Head of State accused persons and entities opposed to GMO of carrying out a ‘propaganda’ campaign when it actual sense ‘they do not want us to have the capacity to produce sufficient foods.’
“I have personally fed on GMO foods, have I grown breasts? We have to tell each other the truth and stop the gossip and propaganda. My intention is to ensure we have a plan to ensure we address the challenge of high cost of living,” he said
The President, in fact, says the food products Kenya has been importing “all these years have GMO components.” He said the Kenya Bureau of Standards only kept it at one percent.
“When you are told these food is less than one percent GMO, what are you saying, isn’t it just GMO?” he posed, noting that the same food products cost the country 30 to 40 percent more of what would have been spent on of bioengineered foods.
Ruto said the fact that there are people who still go to bed without food in Kenya, 60 years after independence, is a great indictment on the part of leaders. — NNN-KBC
