Kenya's Environment Court has made a decisive ruling in favor of permitting the cultivation and distribution of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) maize in the country. The court's verdict hinged on the absence of substantial evidence demonstrating any adverse effects on human health or the environment resulting from the use of GMOs.

The utilization of GMOs has long been a subject of contentious debate, primarily concerning their safety for consumption. This dispute gained momentum after President William Ruto's administration lifted the ban on GMO imports in Kenya.

In response to concerns, President Ruto sought to reassure the Kenyan public that genetically modified products posed no health risks. He underscored that GMOs were already a part of the food supply to some extent and elaborated on the cost implications of adhering to strict non-GMO standards.

"The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) requires the percentage to be one, but that leaves us paying 30 to 40 percent more for our imports," President Ruto emphasized in March 2023. "Countries like South Africa and the USA have adopted 100 percent GMO. Have you heard of anyone developing health issues from consuming GMOs? As a scientist, I would not jeopardize the well-being of the people who elected me."

President Ruto also highlighted the potential benefits of GMOs, emphasizing their capacity to be engineered for resistance to pests and diseases, thereby reducing the necessity for pesticides and herbicides.

However, these assertions faced opposition from Civil Society groups, which lodged a petition in court seeking to overturn Ruto's policy. The groups contended that the government had failed to furnish sufficient proof of the safety of modified crops for human consumption.

In a significant development, the High Court had previously sided with the Civil Society groups, resulting in a ban on the importation and distribution of GMO products. In their ruling, a three-judge bench underscored the government's failure to provide adequate evidence regarding the safety of these modified crops.