Biotech industry bets on Kenya’s crop engineering scientists

• In Kenya, biotech knowledge is emerging as a key focus of university programs and consortiums that are working to build local expertise in the country.
• Biotech companies focus mainly on agriculture development with emphasis on advancements in crops and forestry, and human health, with services like DNA identification and training.
• However, Kenya’s biotech sector faces challenges related to funding and inadequate infrastructure.

Biotech industry in East Africa is growing and Kenya, since recently lifting it’s ban on GMO crops has renewed efforts to enhance national and regional food security. Backed by a supporting national policy that guides the national development of its biotech sector Kenya now has a dedicated regulatory body, the National Biosafety Authority and a growing number of biotech companies and research centers like the KEMRI Centre for Biotechnology Research and Development.

The biotech companies focus mainly on agriculture development with emphasis on advancements in crops and forestry, and human health, with services like DNA identification and training. Today, Kenya has a national biotechnology policy that guides research and development and it has also established the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) that is responsible to ensure safety standards are met.

Notably, biotech knowledge has also become a focus of university programs and consortiums that are working to build local expertise in the country. The national policy shift came about in 2022, when the government lifted the moratorium on GMO crops and since then biotechnology has being used to develop crops that have improved traits particularly disease resistance and high yielding.

“Companies and research institutions are also working on projects like cloning high-yield eucalyptus hybrids for sustainable forestry,” reports the Centre for Biotechnology Research and Development (CBRD).

According to the CBRD, Kenya’s Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology Research Center (IMB-RC) works to develop bio-based technologies for industries including food, chemicals, and bioenergy. Thanks to the policy change and supporting legal environment, companies like Kentegra Biotechnology focus on improving cash crops like high-quality pyrethrum, which is a key ingredient in the making of natural insecticides.

However, challenges exist; “like many developing countries, Kenya’s biotech sector faces challenges related to funding and inadequate infrastructure,” the CBRD reports. There is also a shortage of skilled personnel and need for regulatory harmonization to streamline innovation and trade across the nation and East Africa as whole.

Also Read: Biotechnology potential for sustainable agriculture in Africa

Kenya’s biotech industry, school clubs

Programs are underway in Kenya where students are learning to develop the potato value chain. Similar programs focus on cloning technology to transform tree planting and boost sustainable forestry.

According to Kenneth Monjero, the team leader of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) they are working to; “ …ignite passion for agriculture and related disciplines among high school students in Nyandarua, Kiambu, and Nakuru counties through immersive, experiential learning.”

The team leader says recent intensive sessions that were conducted in May of this year, brought some 120 students from six secondary schools and engaged them in training and monitoring the growth of second-season potato crops.

“The core of the initiative lies in direct mentorship, as students interacted with leading scientists during farm visits and attended focused workshops. Students gained practical insights into how scientific breeding methods are used to improve crop yields and ensure food security,” Monjero details.

Sharing similar sentiments, Dr. Susan Otieno, head of KALRO’s Potato Breeding Section in Tigoni, said, they are working with students at Tumaini Integrated School teaching them potato breeding and variety development. The students learn genetic principles as compared to conventional breeding with principles such as modern marker-assisted breeding (MAB), and the selection of traits for ideal potato varieties.

“They learn potato disease diagnostics which equips the students with the ability to identify fungal, bacterial, viral, and nematode threats using real images and symptoms that plants exhibit. They explored diagnostic technologies like microscopy and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and, crucially, learned Integrated Pest Management strategies linking plant health directly to productivity and market success,” she detailed.

She said the students learn how to grow potato seeds in a test tube, biotechnology tools of tissue culture, collecting plant tissue, hardening seedlings in greenhouses and their preparation for field planting.

“Students saw firsthand how sterile lab conditions produce disease-free seed potatoes, a critical technology for improving yields. The session clearly showed how modern techniques support robust seed systems,” she went on to explain.

Kenya biotech companies, a growing industry

A good example of a well performing biotech company in Kenya is Kentegra Biotechnology, a US-Kenya biotech company that specializes in the production of organic insecticides. According to David Payne, the Kentegra Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder, the company produces Pale Refined Extract (PRE).

“Our firm began working with Kentegra through Manufacturing Africa, a flagship economic program funded by the UK government and the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The program has facilitated over USD$2.6 billion in foreign direct investment into African manufacturing and has created more than 110,000 jobs in Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ethiopia,” he revealed.

According to the official, Kentegra is now working to identify how to expand the company’s operations and attract investors

“At an individual level, the impact of a secure wage and regular work can be even more profound for families allowing access to formal medical care and access to a career path which can change the trajectory for an entire family,” he goes on to explain.

With professional consultancy help, Kentegra has been able to identify and evaluate the most promising growth options and effectively communicate its mission and impact to potential investors. The company is looking into potentially expanding its product lines, manufacturing plants, and growing markets for pyrethrum across Africa.

Kentegra’s farmer partner community has continued to grow in the thousands and thanks to new funding options, it is poised to triple its factory capacity. When this happens, more than 90,000 farmers will be directly impacted through contributing materials to the company’s production plants.

“Kentegra’s expansion has predominantly involved hiring local personnel, which has had a direct and positive impact on the communities surrounding their operations. Jobs in the manufacturing sector often come with higher wages and offer more stable career paths, providing residents with consistent cash flow and improved quality of life,” Payne details.

Kentegra’s achievements are thanks to support from Manufacturing Africa, an incubation program that over the past five years, has created over 110,000 new direct and indirect job and helped attract the said $2.6 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) to Africa’s manufacturing sector.

According to Thomas Pascoe, Manufacturing Africa Team Leader, the program has also helped with the identification of a pipeline of $22 billion in potential investments in Kenya alone.

“At a national level, we are helping shape and find finance for champions in the manufacturing sector that can compete on a world stage and want to do so in a way that protects their local ecosystems and elevates the communities they serve,” Pascoe notes saying the biotech industry now plays a significant role in the growth of Kenya’s manufacturing sector.