Ministry of Agriculture Orders Crackdown on Agrovet Outlets

Kenya, August 25 , 2026 - Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has called for a crackdown on agrovet outlets still selling counterfeit, unauthorised or smuggled pesticides, as the ministry steps up efforts to ensure agricultural products are safe for consumption.

Even though the country has reported a 95 per cent decline in unauthorised and smuggled pesticides, the CS said more needs to be done to protect farmers and Kenyans from harmful chemicals, which are often linked to certain forms of cancer following prolonged exposure.

According to the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), inspectors are using techniques such as spectrometer technology to analyse products and identify counterfeit and non-conforming pesticides being sold to farmers.

The board noted that expired, counterfeit, smuggled, unauthorised and other non-conforming pesticides found on agrovet shelves are removed from the market and enforcement action taken.

PCPB has further assured that it has tightened Surveillance along porous sections of borders, including around Loitoktok, to close routes used to bring illegal products into Kenya.

PCPB CEO, Fredrick Muchiri, highlighted these measures during engagements between the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, led by CS Kagwe, in Malindi.

“The Government's tougher approach is also increasingly visible at Kenya's borders. PCPB officers are now stationed at 10 major gazetted border points and ports, compared with 2024 when the regulator had no officers permanently deployed at points of entry,” the Ministry of Agriculture noted.

 Agriculture Kagwe noted that the board, as well as other relevant agencies, will remain firm in ensuring that  Kenya does not allow pesticides banned elsewhere over health and safety concerns.

 Following reforms in the sector, the PCPB has already managed to review hundreds of pesticide products. 77 end-use pesticide products were withdrawn from the Kenyan market after they were found to be unfit.

The review covered 430 end-use pesticide products, resulting in 77 being withdrawn, another 202 products being restricted on various crops, while 151 were placed under further review.

"My pronouncement is clear: a pesticide banned anywhere in the world will be banned in Kenya. Within our region, if a product is banned in any one country, it should be banned in all countries within the EAC, and we are pushing for the same position across COMESA," Kagwe said.

 On the other hand, the ministry has assured Kenyans that food sold in local markets is safe, cautioning against claims that the mere detection of pesticide residues means the food is unsafe for consumption.

Muchiri challenged the interpretation of a recent report that had created the impression that about 78 per cent of sampled food was unsafe because pesticide residues had been detected.

According to PCPB, about 80 per cent of what was reported met the required standards, while 100 per cent of samples assessed against the applicable  Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) were within the prescribed safety limits.

“PCPB told Senators that food safety must be scientifically assessed against established Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and that detecting traces of a pesticide does not automatically mean that food is unsafe for consumption,” the ministry stated.