NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya’s food safety system is in the spotlight as delegates gather in Nairobi for a three-day forum focused on modernizing the country’s food safety practices.
Organized by the Food and Agriculture Export Alliance (FAEA) in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the event aims to strengthen the capacity of Food Business Operators (FBOs) in Kenya to tackle food safety risks.
This forum comes just ahead of the anticipated implementation of the Food and Feed Safety Control Coordination Bill 2023.
The new legislation, spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework for food safety collaboration between national and county governments.
The bill, currently under debate in the Senate after being passed by the National Assembly, proposes the creation of the Office of the Food Safety Controller.
This office will play a crucial role in ensuring that both national and county governments work together to guarantee a safe food supply across the country.
At the forum’s opening ceremony, Paul Ronoh, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, emphasized the uneven readiness of Kenyan FBOs to meet regulatory requirements.
While larger corporations involved in export markets have adopted modern food safety programs, small and medium-sized FBOs lag behind.
“The capacity of FBOs to align their food safety programs with international best practices is highly variable,” Ronoh stated, highlighting the urgent need for capacity-building initiatives.
Recognizing this gap, the USDA, through FAEA and TradeMark Africa (TMA), has committed to supporting capacity enhancement activities in Kenya, particularly focusing on the private sector.
The objective to bolster the private sector’s ability to address food safety risks across key value chains, ensuring they are well-prepared to implement Kenya’s forthcoming food safety policies and legislation.
Gina Tumbarello, Executive Director at FAEA, expressed their dedication to supporting Kenya’s industry stakeholders.
“Our shared goal is to ensure that current and future regulations not only provide optimal public health protection but are also practical for implementation, promoting the growth of Kenya’s industry both domestically and in export markets,” she noted.
The USDA and FAEA have already invested over $500,000 (Ksh 64.5 million) in drafting Kenya’s new food and feed safety policy and bill, signaling a strong commitment to the country’s food safety future.
As the workshop progresses, delegates aim to develop a roadmap to prioritize capacity training needs for the private sector.
This includes creating a curriculum in collaboration with a local university to host future training sessions. By empowering the private sector, the initiative hopes to confidently address Kenya’s food safety risks, ensuring that consumers have access to safe and high-quality food products.
