Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
the protection of people against the risks from exposure to poisonous substances, has been drafted
but has still not been presented to Parliament. The most comprehensive pesticide regulation is the
Pest Control Products Act, which became law on 19 May 1983. It was established to regulate the
import, export, manufacture and distribution of products used to control pests and the organic func-
tion (i.e., the use and toxicity) of pesticides on plants and animals. Under this Act, a 'pest control
product' was defi ned as a: 'device, product, organism, substance, or thing that is manufactured to
directly or indirectly control, prevent, destroy, attract or repel any pest.'
One of the measures of the Pest Control Products Act was the establishment of the Pest Control
Products Board (PCPB), an entity which became operational in October 1984. In addition to
the PCPB, several other bodies are involved in regulating pesticides and advocating their safe use: the
Kenya Environment Secretariat (KES), Crop Life Kenya (CLK), National Environment Management
Authority (NEMA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Kenya Safe Use Project (KSUP).
Created in the 1970s, KES is the coordinating body for all matters pertaining to the protection
of the environment and provides a link to international organisations such as UNEP, FAO and WHO,
through which important pesticide policy guidelines are formulated. Kenyan agricultural indus-
tries are required to implement the FAO code of conduct (http://www.croplife.org/public/code_of_
conduct) on the distribution and use of pesticides.
Most distributors of agrochemical and related products/services throughout Kenya belong to
Crop Life Kenya, whose objective is to ensure that members ascribe to the safety, packaging, label-
ling and use of these products (Wandiga, Lalah and Kaigwara 2002). CLK was initially established
in 1958, as the Pesticide Chemicals Association of East Africa. At the time, members felt the need
for a joint approach in establishing standards for local formulations, particularly dusting powders,
following discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1977, the group's name was changed
to Pesticide Chemicals Association of Kenya, when the fi rst East African Community, which was
started by the colonial administration and included Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, was disbanded.
Since then, membership has increased, and there has been one last name change (Agrochemicals
Association of Kenya) before becoming Crop Life Kenya. For the record, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
and other East African countries recently reunited in 2008 to form a new East African community.
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) became operational in 2001, with
a mandate to cover all issues pertaining to environmental protection, including evaluating whether
industries conform to waste disposal and toxic residue guidelines. As such, NEMA is directly con-
cerned with the discharge and environmental fate of toxic pesticides. The Kenya Bureau of Standards
(KEBS) is a statutory organisation whose mandate includes developing quality and standards guide-
lines and inspecting imports, including pesticides.
The Kenya Safe Use Project was initiated by the International Group of National Associations of
Agrochemical Manufacturers (now the Global Crop Protection Federation (GCPF)), in 1991 (Rocco
1991). Through various taskforces, the Project objectives include a) improving standards in formula-
tion plants and in pesticide registration procedures, b) providing training for those who transport pes-
ticides, and retailers, stockists and end-users (i.e., farmers), c) establishing poisoning information and
treatment centres, d) eliminating waste stocks of agrochemicals in an 'environmentally safe' manner,
e) promoting the use of protective clothing when handling and/or using pesticides, f) improving
the clarity and/or content of pesticide labelling, and, g) promoting the use of pictograms to educate
school children on the hazards of pesticides and what precautions must be taken when using them.
By 2002, when the last report was made on the safe and effective handling of pesticides, the
Project had trained approximately 500 000 farmers, stockists (which includes agrovets), distributors
and health professionals in Kenya (Rocco 1991).
As a member of the United Nations, Kenya has in the past ratifi ed most of the conventions which
required a restriction (or total ban on) organochlorine compounds such as DDT, largely because
the necessary mechanisms and policies existed within the government to do so. The current sce-
nario regarding pesticide distribution, safe usage and regulation (particularly regarding acutely toxic
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