This archive report was first published on 14 November 2019.
On November 14, 2019, the Kenyan government proposed the creation of a food safety agency to address the country's food safety concerns.
The proposal comes at a time when the country's food chain is plagued by contamination, with many Kenyans unknowingly consuming food and drinks that pose a risk to their health.
According to Crop Development and Agricultural Research principal secretary Hamadi Boga, the ministry and the Ministry of Health are working together to establish the agency, which will be responsible for ensuring the safety of food products sold in the country.
However, the creation of such an agency will require comprehensive studies and benchmarking to make it effective, especially given the informal nature of Kenya's markets.
It is also essential that the counties where food is produced are involved in the process, and that the marketing of food products is reorganized to make it more formal and controllable.
As Boga noted, a multi-agency approach and investment will be necessary to make the project a success.
