Kenya must speed up reforms to improve food safety

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe and Kenya Seed Company MD Sammy Chepsiror Kiplagat inspect a maize variety at the KSC stand during the Nakuru ASK Show on July 4, 2025. [File, Standard]

In recent months, Kenya has been gripped by recurring food safety scares that have reminded citizens of the decades-old systemic gaps in consumer protection. The latest case involved a recall of four peanut butter brands after tests found aflatoxin above the legal limit of 15 parts per billion. One reported sample recorded 934 ppb, over 62 times the allowed level.