Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has ordered intensified nationwide inspections of agrovet outlets as the Government moves to strengthen the fight against illegal, counterfeit and unsafe pesticides in Kenya.
Kagwe said Kenya would not become a dumping ground for agricultural chemicals that have been banned elsewhere over health and environmental concerns, calling for tougher controls from the country’s borders to the shelves of agrovet shops.
“My pronouncement is clear: a pesticide banned anywhere in the world will be banned in Kenya,” Kagwe said during engagements between the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Malindi.
He further called for harmonised pesticide regulations within the East African Community (EAC), arguing that products prohibited in one member state should not simply find their way into another market.
“Within our region, if a product is banned in any one country, it should be banned in all countries within the EAC, and we are pushing for the same position across COMESA,” he said.
Kagwe’s position reflects concerns he has raised previously over what he described as a double standard in the global regulation of agricultural chemicals. In June, he called for international action to prevent farmers in developing countries from being exposed to chemicals restricted or banned in other markets because of health and environmental concerns.
The latest announcement comes as the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) reports a dramatic decline in the entry of unauthorised and smuggled pesticides into Kenya.
PCPB Chief Executive Officer Fredrick Muchiri said illegal pesticide imports have fallen by an estimated 95 per cent following intensified surveillance at border points and ports. The regulator has deployed officers at 10 major gazetted points of entry, compared with 2024 when it did not have officers permanently stationed at entry points.
Muchiri said surveillance has also been strengthened along porous border areas, including the Loitoktok border, which has previously been vulnerable to smuggling.
The development marks a significant shift in Kenya’s pesticide enforcement strategy, with the Government seeking to prevent illegal products from entering the country while also cleaning up the domestic distribution chain.
Under the new push, PCPB is expected to intensify inspections of agrovet shops across the country to establish whether pesticides being sold to farmers are registered, genuine, properly labelled, compliant with regulatory requirements and within their approved shelf life.
Expired, counterfeit, smuggled and unauthorised products found during inspections will be removed from the market, while traders responsible may face enforcement action.
The PCPB is the statutory body responsible for regulating the importation, exportation, manufacture, distribution, sale and use of pest control products in Kenya. Its mandate includes assessing the safety, efficacy and quality of pesticides and monitoring products throughout the supply chain.
The regulator’s current online records also provide farmers and dealers with access to registered pest control products, reinforcing the importance of checking whether a product is authorised before purchase or use.
The crackdown follows a major scientific review of pesticide products conducted by PCPB. In June 2025, the Government announced the withdrawal of 77 end-use pesticide products from the Kenyan market after a review of 430 products identified unacceptable risks to human health, crops, livestock and the environment.
A further 202 products were restricted for use on particular crops, while 151 products were placed under review at the time.
Author: Moureen Koech
Moureen Koech is a passionate Digital Journalist, an adept Agribusiness Writer with a keen eye for news and an impactful story-teller,whose stories provide key value to Agripreneurs and stakeholders in the Agricultural sector
