KAKAMEGA, Kenya- The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology have signed a memorandum of agreement aimed at strengthening training, research, and capacity building in biotechnology and biosafety-related fields.
The agreement, signed at the university in Kakamega County, will support students undertaking modern biotechnology courses through joint training programmes, research collaboration, and industrial attachments.
The deal was signed by NBA Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ann Karimi and MMUST Vice-Chancellor Prof. Solomon I. Shibairo in the presence of senior officials from the authority and the university.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Dr. Karimi said the partnership would strengthen research and regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Kenya.
“We were established to handle GMOs, but we are now getting into other areas of modern biotechnologies,” she said.
She noted that manpower development remains one of the authority’s core mandates and explained that collaboration with universities would help equip students and researchers with skills needed in the expanding biotechnology sector.
“There is so much we are doing together, and we look forward to more engagement with higher learning institutions,” Dr. Karimi added.
The acting CEO also said the authority was working to address misinformation and disinformation surrounding GMOs and modern biotechnology to ensure science-based public awareness.
NBA Acting Director of Biosafety Assessment and Awareness Josphat Muchiri said Bt Cotton remains the only genetically modified crop commercially approved in Kenya.
He added that Bt maize and genetically modified cassava have already been approved by the authority but their commercialization remains suspended pending a court ruling issued last year.
Prof. Shibairo welcomed the agreement, saying it would benefit students and strengthen Kenya’s scientific research capacity.
“The university will be leading in training more manpower and research, and help the country to be a leader in issues of biosafety,” he said.
He assured the public that GMO products undergo rigorous scientific testing before approval and release into the market.
Under the partnership, the two institutions will collaborate in areas including student supervision, field and industrial attachment, curriculum development, biosafety regulatory compliance training, and joint research projects.
The programme will also involve information sharing through libraries, journals, and electronic databases, as well as the development of training modules on biosafety and emerging biotechnologies.
The agreement is expected to particularly benefit students pursuing Bachelor of Science programmes in Biosafety and Biosecurity, a field increasingly viewed as critical in strengthening national and global health preparedness.
The authority said MMUST currently offers one of the few dedicated undergraduate biosafety programmes in Kenya.
A 2025 manpower development study commissioned by the NBA and conducted by Prof. George O. Obiero of the University of Nairobi found that many universities train biotechnology scientists without integrating sufficient biosafety education.
“A comprehensive biosafety course dedicated specifically to biosafety is only offered at the BSc level at MMUST. Therefore, there is a need for other higher education institutions and tertiary institutions to develop and integrate biosafety courses at BSc, MSc, and PhD levels,” the report stated.
Other universities offering biotechnology-related training include Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenyatta University, Moi University, and Maseno University.
