This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
August 16, 2019, will forever be etched in my memory as the day I lost a close relative to cancer. The pain and grief that followed were unbearable, and I'm sure many Kenyans have gone through a similar journey.
As I reflect on the cancer scourge that has ravaged our country, I'm reminded of the National Cancer Control Strategy 2017-2022, which outlines preventative measures to reduce cancer risks. However, I believe we must dig deeper and address the root cause of this disease.
While screening and treatment are crucial, we must also examine the wellness of the food and drinks we ingest. A decade-old video surfaced, showing Kenya Bureau of Standards' Kioko Mang'eli warning about a looming cancer crisis due to aflatoxin-contaminated maize. The forecast appears to be coming true today.
High levels of aflatoxin in maize, a staple food, put the entire country at risk. The decision to allow toxic maize into the country is astonishing and criminal. The regulatory system for managing crop and animal husbandry, and the national food import chain, is broken.
We are losing the battle against cancer when we can't keep toxic maize from landing on our shores. We must tap into the expertise of scientists and experts to examine the food we ingest and introduce policy and regulatory changes to elevate State agencies to national security status and raise the level of responsibility officials must bear when it comes to matters of life and death.
