NAIROBI, Kenya — Activists gathered outside Kilimo House in Nairobi on Thursday, April 6, to protest what they described as the continued use of toxic pesticides in Kenya, warning that harmful chemicals are making their way into the country’s food, soil and water systems.
Holding placards and chanting slogans, protesters demanded urgent government action, accusing authorities of failing to enforce existing bans despite 67 of Kenya’s 141 registered pesticide ingredients being classified as highly hazardous.
The protest comes as a new report by Greenpeace Africa reveals what it calls a silent environmental crisis, linking widespread pesticide use to contamination of ecosystems and threats to food security.
According to the report, toxic chemicals such as chlorpyrifos, glyphosate, imidacloprid and atrazine are being detected across river systems, accumulating in soils and affecting pollinators critical to agriculture.
In Murang’a County, 11 different pesticides were found in bee products, while studies in Kisumu showed contamination in all samples taken from five rivers, at levels harmful to aquatic life.
Elizabeth Atieno, Food Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, warned that the damage is already underway but largely untracked.
“We are poisoning the natural systems that our food depends on. The bees, the soil, and the rivers are the foundation of every farm in Kenya. When we lose them, we lose farming itself,” she said.
“What this report shows is that the damage is already happening, and almost no one is measuring it. The government has taken a first step with the partial ban, but a ban without monitoring tells us nothing about whether we are actually recovering.”
While Kenya recently announced a ban on 77 highly hazardous pesticides, activists say enforcement remains weak.
“State announced a ban which they are not enforcing or monitoring,” protesters said, accusing regulators of inaction.
The report also highlights gaps in oversight, noting that Kenya and many African countries lack systematic national monitoring programmes for pesticide residues in soil, water and food—leaving the true scale of contamination largely unknown.
Silke Bollmohr, the report’s author, said the impact extends far beyond farms.
“The data is unambiguous. These pesticides are not staying on farms. They are spreading into waterways, accumulating in bee products, and contaminating household dust that children breathe every day,” she said.
“What makes this even more alarming is that most countries have no systematic monitoring in place, so the true scale of contamination remains largely invisible. We are making decisions about Africa’s food future in the dark.”
For farmers, the situation presents a difficult dilemma.
Jeff Kahuho of PELUM Kenya said many smallholders feel trapped relying on chemicals despite the long-term harm.
“Smallholder farmers are caught in a trap. They are sold the idea that chemicals are the only way to protect their crops, yet the same chemicals are degrading the very soil and water that farming depends on,” he said.
“Agroecology offers a genuine alternative… What farmers need now is investment, training, and policy support to make the transition. A ban without alternatives just shifts the burden.”
On the ground, some farmers are already turning away from chemical use.
“On my farm, I have moved away from these toxic chemicals and started working with nature… I have seen that it is possible to grow food without poisoning our land,” said farmer Isaac Kariuki.
“But many farmers are still trapped using these pesticides, and the damage is spreading into our rivers, our soils, and our ecosystems.”
As the protest at Kilimo House made clear, campaigners are now pushing for more than policy announcements, they want enforcement, accountability and a shift toward safer farming practices.
