Monthly Archives: June 2025

Impact of Kenya’s Toxic Chemical Policy on Farmers and Exports

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Kenya’s 2025 pesticide ban is more than a policy shift—it’s an overdue confrontation with dangerous agrochemical practices that have long gone unchecked. At the heart of the crackdown is Mancozeb, a fungicide so entrenched in Kenyan agriculture that it’s sprayed like water on tomatoes, potatoes, and maize. Yet this widely used chemical breaks down into ethylene thiourea (ETU)—a probable human carcinogen linked to thyroid harm and reproductive toxicity. Mancozeb has already been banned across the European Union and flagged by multiple global health authorities, but until now, it continued to flow into Kenyan markets with barely a check. Now, alongside Mancozeb, Kenya has also moved to restrict or suspend other hazardous products including chlorpyrifos, acephate, glyphosate, and dimethoate—compounds associated with cancer risks, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and acute poisoning in both humans and animals. In withdrawing 77 toxic products and tightening rules on 202 more, the government is finally rejecting the toxic trade imbalance that treats African countries as chemical dumping grounds. The new policy aligns Kenyan regulation with international best practice: no pesticide can be registered here unless it’s also legal in its country of origin and in developed economies like the EU, USA, Canada, or Australia. It’s a turning point—but not without blowback.

A Report by K24TV

For years, Mancozeb symbolized Kenya’s regulatory inertia: cheap, accessible, and unchallenged despite the mounting science against it. Farmers, often unaware of its dangers, sprayed it without masks or gloves, storing the residues in their homes, their soil, and their food. Chlorpyrifos, a widely used insecticide linked to developmental harm in children, and glyphosate, a herbicide under global scrutiny for carcinogenicity, have followed similar trajectories—popular with farmers but flagged by scientists and health agencies. Now, the state faces a high-stakes transition. Smallholders reliant on these chemicals are being urged toward Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and agroecological alternatives. Yet less than 10% of Kenyan farmers use biopesticides, and most lack training, equipment, or trust in new inputs. The Pest Control Products Board, emboldened by fresh legislation, is finally flexing its oversight powers. But enforcement remains patchy, and counterfeit products exploit the regulatory vacuum. Mancozeb isn’t just a pesticide—it’s a case study in how economic expediency once overrode health and environmental responsibility. That era, Kenya now claims, is ending.

Timing is crucial. The EU is cracking down on residue limits. Kenya’s vegetable exports—once worth KSh 100 billion—have already taken a hit. If the country wants to stay competitive and credible, aligning with global safety standards is not optional. Mancozeb’s fall is both symbolic and strategic: it’s a warning to other harmful substances still in circulation—like profenofos, carbendazim, and triazophos—and a test of whether Kenya can enforce its own reform. This is where political will must hold—beyond press briefings and regulatory memos. Farmers need practical support. Consumers need transparency. And regulators must resist the pressure of well-funded pesticide lobbies looking to reverse course. Kenya has declared its direction. Now the country must walk it—with clarity, speed, and resolve—before the next generation pays the price in poisoned soil, sickened bodies, and lost trade.

References:

Trade World News Kenya Bans Import of 50 Pesticide Brands for Safer Farming

The Standard State cracks down on harmful pesticides, bans 77 products

The Star Civil society demand full disclosure of banned pesticides, calls for safer agricultural reforms

The Star 77 pesticides banned in Kenya as 202 others restricted – CS Kagwe

Kenya News Agency State urged to make to make public list of banned pesticides

Kenyans.co.ke Kenya Bans Use of Pesticides Not Approved in Europe, USA, Canada & Australia

Beyond Tear Gas: Kenya’s Protests and the Deeper Economic Fault Lines

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Kenya stands on the edge of a breaking point, as nationwide protests planned for June 25, 2025, threaten to ignite a powder keg of grievances that have simmered for far too long. The recent killings of Albert Ojwang and Boniface Kariuki during demonstrations are not isolated incidents—they are flashpoints in a larger pattern of state overreach and institutional deafness. While headlines focus on police brutality and protest management, a more insidious reality demands attention: the sustained economic suffocation of the Kenyan populace. The cost of living continues to soar. Public debt has swollen to KSh 11 trillion. Education remains underfunded, and youth unemployment festers like an untreated wound. Amid this, the government’s focus on force and optics, rather than reform and relief, appears increasingly deliberate. It is no longer simply a failure to act—it is a strategy of distraction, where brute security responses replace dialogue, and public anger is met with tear gas instead of tangible solutions.

A Report by Citizen TV Kenya

This redirection is clearest in the shift from last year’s finance protests to this year’s rhetoric on law and order. After being forced to walk back the 2024 Finance Bill amid massive pushback, the state seems determined to recast the youth-led movement as a public threat rather than a national awakening. But this strategy grossly underestimates the intelligence and resolve of a digitally savvy, politically alert generation. What the state has failed to internalize is that the fuel behind these protests is not a single tax line or budget clause—it is the lived experience of economic abandonment. From unpaid interns to underfunded school programs, from shuttered clinics to inflated basic goods, Kenyans are not protesting a moment—they are protesting a system. When young people march, they are not just asking for change; they are demanding to be seen, to be heard, and to be respected as stakeholders in a country that often treats them as collateral.

That is why June 25 holds more than just symbolic significance—it is a moral crossroads for the nation. One year after the storming of Parliament by a disillusioned youth bloc, the same issues remain unresolved, and in many cases, have worsened. Kenya cannot police its way out of a political and economic crisis. The louder the government beats the drums of security, the more transparent its silence becomes on job creation, education reform, healthcare access, and corruption crackdowns. If this government fails to acknowledge the root causes of unrest, it will find itself chasing symptoms while the disease spreads. True national stability will not come from the barrel of a gun or the lens of a surveillance drone—it will come from confronting the truth with courage. The youth are not the enemy. They are the warning light on the dashboard of a republic veering off course. And unless Kenya listens—and acts—history may remember this moment not as a turning point, but as a missed opportunity written in smoke and silence.

References:

All Africa Kenya Drops Tax Hikes in New Budget, Focuses on Reforms

The Star Factors affecting retail prices in Kenya

The Kenyan Wall Street Kenya’s Public Debt Interest Payments On Pace to Cross KSh 1 Trillion in 2025

Kenya News Agency Kenya launches the 2025 Economic Survey

Citizen Digital A depressed economy? Employment opportunities in Kenya shrink as wages go down

Aljazeera Kenyan police shoot bystander at close range during latest protests

The Impact of SHA on Health Access in Kenya

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When Kenya launched the Social Health Authority (SHA) as the cornerstone of universal health coverage, the promise was clear: to ensure every citizen could access essential health services without facing financial ruin. Yet today, that promise faces a serious credibility test. Recent developments indicate that many Kenyans, particularly the unemployed and low-income earners, are being turned away from public hospitals unless they first settle their full-year SHA premium in advance. This development contradicts the October 2024 assurance that eliminated upfront payments, and it has created uncertainty and distress for millions who had hoped the new system would ease their access to care. While the government’s “Lipa SHA Pole Pole” initiative was introduced as a flexible payment model, its application has exposed a difficult paradox—patients unable to pay full premiums are being directed to loan facilities such as the Hustler Fund, raising concerns about equity and affordability in health access.

A Report by K24TV

The data reinforces the gravity of this policy gap. As of May 2025, around 22 million Kenyans were registered under SHA. However, only 4 to 5 million were actively contributing. This stark difference highlights a growing segment of the population—nearly 17 million—who are nominally enrolled but effectively excluded from coverage. Field reports indicate cases where patients who had made partial payments through monthly KSh 1,030 contributions were still denied treatment unless they completed the full annual sum of KSh 12,460. This shift from previous messaging has created confusion within the public and among healthcare providers alike. Hospitals are left navigating between policy directives and practical enforcement realities, while patients face an impossible choice between debt and delayed care. The concern here is not just administrative inconsistency but a fundamental disconnect between the objectives of health reform and its practical execution.

Efforts to finance the health sector sustainably must not eclipse the foundational goal of protecting all citizens—especially the most vulnerable. Leveraging loan facilities to pay for health premiums, even under a well-meaning “pay slowly” framework, may alleviate cash flow challenges temporarily, but risks increasing personal debt burdens among already struggling households. Basic principles of household economics do not support taking on credit to finance routine health coverage costs—particularly when such expenses are meant to be predictable and pooled through public insurance schemes. Moreover, legal challenges have already resulted in court rulings that bar exclusion from emergency services based on insurance status, underscoring the constitutional imperative of inclusive care. For SHA to regain public confidence, there must be a renewed focus on clarity, consistency, and compassion. Equity must guide implementation just as much as fiscal planning. Universal health coverage cannot be achieved by design alone—it must be delivered through systems that align with the economic realities of those it intends to serve.

References:

The Standard Why most Kenyans cannot access SHA services

Kenyans.co.ke Kenyans Frustrated as SHA Scraps Monthly Payments, Demands Full Year Upfront

GeoPoll Understanding Kenyans’ Perception of the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF)

The Star Jua Kali Kenyans paying Sh600 to SHA—double the promised rate

A Dose Too Late: Kenya’s Vaccine Shortage Risks a Generational Health Collapse

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As of mid-2025, Kenya is teetering on the brink of a devastating public health collapse driven by severe vaccine shortages. With 12 counties having completely run out of critical vaccines such as BCG, polio, and rotavirus, the government’s assurance that “no child will miss a dose” stands at odds with harsh ground realities. This is not just a failure of procurement; it is a breakdown of the entire immunization ecosystem—from poor cold chain infrastructure and inadequate forecasting to chronic delays in budget disbursement and transportation shortfalls. Border regions and refugee camps like Dadaab and Kakuma are hardest hit, with near-zero stock levels and rising numbers of zero-dose children. The threat of disease resurgence is no longer hypothetical: polio cases have already been confirmed in Garissa, and a major measles outbreak is underway in Turkana. These are not just statistics. They are warnings of a long-term developmental regression that, if ignored, will haunt the nation for decades.

A Report by NTV Kenya

The implications of this vaccine crisis stretch far beyond public health clinics. Vaccines are a cornerstone of Kenya’s investment in its human capital. Every child who misses their immunization schedule increases the nation’s future healthcare burden and diminishes productivity potential. When children fall ill or die from preventable diseases, families spiral into poverty, and entire communities are destabilized. The social contract that underpins Kenya’s National Safety Net Program—which aims to protect the most vulnerable—is severely undermined when children, citizens or not, cannot access lifesaving interventions. Refugees, nomadic populations, and residents of arid and semi-arid lands are disproportionately affected, exacerbating inequality and fostering mistrust in state institutions. In practical terms, this also undermines peace-building efforts in volatile regions. Failing to vaccinate every child—regardless of their citizenship status—is not just a moral failure; it is a strategic one.

This crisis must jolt the government and its international partners into urgent, coordinated action. Kenya has outlined promising frameworks, including the Kenya Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Project (KHEPRR) and plans for a Strategic Vaccine Reserve. But ambition alone is not enough. These initiatives must be fully financed, properly managed, and transparently implemented. The Shirika Plan, which aims to integrate refugee populations and reduce aid dependency, must also prioritize health equity—not just infrastructure. Kenya’s development goals under Vision 2030, including universal health coverage, depend on this. International precedent shows that nations that fail to maintain routine immunization lose decades of progress in mere months during outbreaks. Kenya must act now to secure its population’s health and uphold its moral and constitutional duty to protect every child. This is no longer just about doses and syringes. It’s about defending the right to survive—and thrive—for generations to come.

References:

ReliefWeb Kenya: Vaccine Shortages Endanger Children’s Lives in Remote and Humanitarian Settings

Kenyans.co.ke Ministry of Health Announces Arrival of Polio and BCG Vaccines Amid Shortage

The Star MoH admits vaccine shortage amid global supply bottlenecks

Refugees International Aid cuts in Kenya will jeopardize years of progress for refugees.

Kenya’s Escalating Security and Civic Rights Crisis

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Kenya is staring down a security crisis that can no longer be blamed on bandits or activists alone. From the shocking murder of Catholic priest Fr. Alois Bett in Kerio Valley to the arrest of digital activist Rose Njeri, recent events expose a breakdown of trust, law, and legitimacy in the very institutions meant to protect the public. In Kerio, teachers, doctors, and missionaries have fled as armed groups tighten their grip — filling the vacuum left by a state that shows up too late, with too little. More than 70 schools have been shut down, a major hospital has closed, and even church leaders now speak of “a valley of death.” What’s worse: when the state does intervene, its methods are often coercive rather than restorative — issuing ultimatums to entire communities under threat of “all necessary force.” This is not security. It’s collective punishment masquerading as policy, and it only deepens fear and fuels defiance. The government’s inability to distinguish bandits from residents or treat citizens as partners in peace risks entrenching a cycle of violence. This is not a crisis of capacity. It’s a crisis of credibility.

A Report by Citizen TV Kenya

The response to civic dissent has been equally chilling. The arrest and weekend detention of Rose Njeri — a software developer who created a digital tool for citizens to email objections to the Finance Bill — was a stark reminder that Kenya’s democratic space is narrowing fast. Her crime? Enabling public participation. This is not just an affront to digital freedoms — it’s a direct violation of Article 33 (freedom of expression) and Article 35 (access to information) of Kenya’s Constitution. Even more damning is the pattern. Detaining citizens over weekends to avoid court oversight has become an authoritarian reflex. This violates the legal standard upheld in Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) & 2 others v Republic of Kenya & another [2015] eKLR, where the court held that prolonged detentions without charge constitute unconstitutional abuse of state power. Yet the tactic continues — often against youth activists, journalists, and tech-savvy organizers. These are not enemies of the state. They are its conscience. If the state treats code like a crime and civic tech as terrorism, it signals a descent into digital authoritarianism — one that no PR campaign or presidential handshake can disguise.

What Kenya needs now is more than investigations and operations. It needs political courage — and jurisprudential discipline. The government must fully implement existing rulings and international obligations. The IPOA’s mandate must be respected, and police accountability pursued with vigor, not rhetoric. Parliament must hold the executive to account when it violates rights under the guise of national security. The courts have laid the foundation. In Independent Policing Oversight Authority v Attorney General & 4 others [2020] eKLR, the High Court affirmed IPOA’s role as the sole lawful investigator of police misconduct. The Executive must respect that boundary. Meanwhile, civil society must continue challenging digital repression and pushing for laws that protect activists, not silence them. Kenya’s youth are not the threat — they are the firewall against authoritarian drift. From Kerio to Kibera, from code to constitution, Kenya’s real security will only be built when the state values trust more than force, and justice more than optics.

References:

Kenya News Agency County Commissioner Leads Madaraka Day with Tough Message on Illegal Brews

The Star Key suspect in murder of Catholic priest Allois Bett arrested

BBC Outrage in Kenya over detention of software developer

The Star Gachagua calls for immediate release of activist Rose Njeri

The Eastleigh Voice Kenya’s security at risk as regional instability grows, warns NIS boss

BBC Pressure mounts to probe Kenya police and army after BBC exposé

Kenya News Agency State declare a nationwide crackdown on organized criminal gangs