Authority partners with educators to integrate biosafety in new curriculum

Joseph Ng’ang’a-KNA

The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has announced plans to partner with curriculum developers in the country to capture aspects of biosafety when coming up with learning areas for students.

NBA acting Chief Executive Officer Nehemiah Ng’etich said the move is to ensure that learners appreciate the issues around biotechnology and biosafety at an early stage for those who wish to pursue their careers in biotechnology.

“We now have a new curriculum, the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and therefore issues touching on biosafety need to be incorporated,” said Ngetich during an internal stakeholder’s engagement forum.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is tasked with development of curriculum for the basic, tertiary sector while universities develop their own curriculum.

The government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) focuses on agricultural transformation and inclusive growth, transforming the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) economy, housing and settlement, healthcare and digital superhighway and creative economy.

These pillars are all geared towards bringing down the cost of living among Kenyans, eradicating hunger, creating jobs and improving Kenya’s foreign exchange balance.

Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the millennium sustainable development goals which were crafted on the science and mathematics courses are unlikely to be realized with less knowledge on biosafety and biotechnology.

The Authority also announced plans to step up engagements with county governments on ensuring safety of GMOs and their derived products in the country.

He disclosed that the institution has received two more requests from two public universities for partnership around research and development of biotechnology.

Last month, the High Court dismissed a case against the lifting of a ban on GMOs and their derived products, re-affirming the Cabinet’s decision that lifted the ban on GMOs of 3rd October 2022 that Kenya has a robust legal and institutional framework to regulate GMOs.

The Authority has since assured Kenyans in general of the safety of GMOs and their derived products in the country.

He said Kenya has a well-established legal, regulatory and institutional framework which provides streamlined processes for persons dealing in GMOs and their derived products in the country.

Ngetich said the framework outlines specific application requirements, safety assessment procedures and monitoring mechanisms which align to Kenya’s commitment to food safety, environmental protection and the socio-economic wellbeing of its citizens.

The Authority’s scope includes genetically modified plants, genetically modified animals, animal inputs including veterinary vaccines and genetically modified microorganisms.