Senators back law to speed up seed approvals

Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina has sponsored the Seeds and Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill 2025. [File, Standard]

Senators have backed the Seeds and Plant Varieties (Amendment) Bill 2025, which seeks to amend the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act to introduce a standards-based seed registration system aimed at speeding up the approval of new seed varieties.

The Bill, sponsored by Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina, proposes the creation of a new category of seed varieties eligible for registration under this system, including climate-resilient strains intended for rapid deployment in response to environmental challenges.

Ledama told the Senate that the primary objective of the Bill is to amend the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act (Cap. 326) to establish a standards-based seed registration framework to be administered by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), as an alternative to the existing certification system overseen by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis).

"This Bill introduces Section 3A, which designates KEBS as the national authority with exclusive control of the standards-based seed system," said Ledama.

He assured senators there would be no conflict between the two agencies, explaining that Kephis would continue handling seed certification for export markets, while Kebs would focus exclusively on the domestic standards-based system.

Ledama criticised Kephis for inefficiency, arguing that Kebs's digital infrastructure would significantly improve performance. "If you support this Bill, efficiency will jump to 95 per cent, and within six months, we will introduce new seed varieties that perform better," he said.

The senator, who is also a farmer, said his personal frustrations over low yields had motivated him to sponsor the Bill. "I was tired of planting one acre of beans and harvesting only 700 kilos, while farmers in Uganda harvest 1,700 kilos," he said, adding that neighbouring countries such as Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Zambia had been more open to innovation.

Ledama estimated that the Bill could boost Kenya's GDP by Sh5.3 billion through a 15 per cent increase in agricultural productivity, warning that current yields were insufficient.

The Bill also allows the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture to amend the list of eligible crops by notice in the Gazette.