- In Kenya, biotech knowledge is becoming a major focus of university programs and consortia working to build local expertise in the country.
- Biotech companies focus primarily on agricultural development, with an emphasis on advances in crops and forestry, and human health, with services such as DNA identification and training.
- However, Kenya’s biotech sector faces challenges related to financing and inadequate infrastructure.
East Africa’s biotech industry is growing and Kenya has renewed efforts to increase national and regional food security since the recent lifting of the ban on GMO crops. Backed by a supportive national policy that guides the national development of its biotech sector, Kenya now has a dedicated regulatory body, the National Biosafety Authority and a growing number of biotech companies and research centers such as the KEMRI Center for Biotechnology Research and Development.
The biotech companies focus primarily on agricultural development, with an emphasis on advances in crops and forestry, and human health, with services such as DNA identification and training. Today, Kenya has a National Biotechnology Policy that guides research and development and has also established the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) which is responsible for ensuring safety standards are met.
Notably, biotech knowledge has also become a focus of university programs and consortia working to build local expertise in the country. The national policy change came about in 2022, when the government lifted the moratorium on GMO crops, and since then biotechnology has been used to develop crops with improved traits, especially disease resistance and high yield.
“Companies and research institutions are also working on projects such as cloning high-yield eucalyptus hybrids for sustainable forestry,” reports the Center for Biotechnology Research and Development (CBRD).
According to the CBRD, Kenya’s Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology Research Center (IMB-RC) is working to develop bio-based technologies for industries such as food, chemicals and bioenergy. Thanks to the policy change and supportive legal environment, companies like Kentegra Biotechnology are focusing on improving high-quality cash crops like pyrethrum, a key ingredient in making natural insecticides.
However, there are challenges; “Like many developing countries, Kenya’s biotech sector faces challenges related to financing and inadequate infrastructure,” the CBRD reports. There is also a shortage of skilled workers and a need for regulatory harmonization to streamline innovation and trade across the country and in East Africa as a whole.
Also read: Biotechnology potential for sustainable agriculture in Africa
The Kenyan biotech industry, school clubs
Programs are running in Kenya in which students learn to develop the potato value chain. Similar programs focus on cloning technology to transform tree planting and promote sustainable forestry.
According to Kenneth Monjero, the team leader of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) they are working on; “…sparking passion for agriculture and related disciplines among secondary school students in Nyandarua, Kiambu and Nakuru counties through immersive, experiential learning.”
The team leader said recent intensive sessions held in May this year visited about 120 students from six secondary schools and engaged them in training and monitoring the growth of potato crops in the second season.
“The core of the initiative lies in direct mentorship, where students interacted with leading scientists during farm visits and attended targeted workshops. Students gained practical insights into how scientific breeding methods are used to improve crop yields and ensure food security,” says Monjero.
Dr. Susan Otieno, Head of KALRO’s Potato Breeding Department in Tigoni, shares similar sentiments and says they are working with students from Tumaini Integrated School to teach them potato breeding and variety development. The students learn genetic principles compared to conventional breeding with principles such as modern marker-assisted breeding (MAB) and the selection of traits for ideal potato varieties.
“They teach potato disease diagnostics, giving students the opportunity to identify fungal, bacterial, viral and nematode threats using real images and symptoms that plants exhibit. They explored diagnostic technologies such as microscopy and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and, crucially, learned integrated pest management strategies that link plant health directly to productivity and market success,” she explains.
She said the students will learn how to grow potato seeds in a test tube, biotechnological tools for tissue culture, collecting plant tissue, hardening seedlings in greenhouses and preparing them for planting in the field.
“Students saw firsthand how sterile laboratory conditions produce disease-free seed potatoes, a critical technology for improving yields. The session clearly demonstrated how modern techniques support robust seed systems,” she continued.
Biotech companies in Kenya, a growing industry
A good example of a well-performing biotech company in Kenya is Kentegra Biotechnologya biotech company from the US and Kenya that specializes in the production of organic insecticides. According to David Payne, Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder of Kentegra, the company produces Pale Refined Extract (PRE).
“Our company began working with Kentegra through Manufacturing Africa, a flagship economic program funded by the UK Government and the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The program has enabled more than $2.6 billion in foreign direct investment in African manufacturing and created more than 110,000 jobs in Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia,” he revealed.
According to the official, Kentegra is now working to identify ways to expand the company’s operations and attract investors
“On an individual level, the impact of secure wages and regular work can be even greater for families who provide access to formal medical care and access to a career path that can change the trajectory for an entire family,” he further explains.
With professional advisory assistance, Kentegra has been able to identify and evaluate the most promising growth options and effectively communicate its mission and impact to potential investors. The company is exploring opportunities to expand its product lines, factories and growing markets for pyrethrum across Africa.
Kentegra’s community of farmer partners has continued to grow by the thousands, and with new financing opportunities, the company is poised to triple its factory capacity. When this happens, more than 90,000 farmers will be directly affected by contributing materials to the company’s production facilities.
“Kentgra’s expansion has primarily involved hiring locally, which has had a direct and positive impact on the communities surrounding their operations. Manufacturing jobs often come with higher wages and offer more stable career paths, providing residents with consistent cash flow and a better quality of life,” says Payne.
Kentegra’s achievements are thanks to the support of Manufacturing Africa, an incubation program that has created more than 110,000 new direct and indirect jobs over the past five years and helped attract the aforementioned $2.6 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Africa’s manufacturing sector.
According to Thomas Pascoe, Manufacturing Africa team leader, the program has also helped identify a $22 billion pipeline of potential investments in Kenya alone.
“At the national level, we help shape and find manufacturing champions who can compete on the global stage and want to do so in a way that protects their local ecosystems and elevates the communities they serve,” says Pascoe. According to Pascoe, the biotech industry is now playing an important role in the growth of Kenya’s manufacturing sector.
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