COFEK raises alarm over pesticide safety, cites toxic residues near Kisumu and Naivasha

The Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has raised alarm over pesticide safety in the country, warning that nearly half of registered agricultural chemicals are highly toxic by global standards and are contaminating food, soil, and water sources.

In a statement on Sunday, COFEK said the situation is already evident in parts of the country, with “poisonous residues found in soils, market vegetables and waterways near Kisumu and Naivasha,” raising concerns over the safety of produce reaching consumers.

The federation warned that exposure to such chemicals presents serious health and environmental risks, including “cancer, birth defects, nausea,” as well as ecological damage such as “dying bees” and “degraded farmland.”

According to COFEK, the findings highlight a wider failure in regulatory oversight, which has allowed unsafe products to remain in circulation. The group argues that “poisoned food on market shelves equals consumer rights violation, plain and simple,” insisting that public health protections are being undermined.

The federation further pointed to legal obligations under national law, stating that “Kenya’s Consumer Protection Act demands safe products — pesticide-laced vegetables breach that duty.”

It also accused regulators of failing in their mandate, noting that it has “long flagged weak KEBS and PCPB enforcement” and says the latest findings are confirmation of those concerns.

COFEK has also called for accountability beyond farmers, arguing that responsibility must extend across the supply chain. It says “polluters — importers, distributors, regulators — must be held accountable, not just farmers,” stressing that systemic action is required to address the crisis.

In response to the growing concerns, the organisation is now pushing for sweeping reforms, including “full bans, tougher PCPB enforcement, and a shift to biological pest alternatives.”

It argues that safer agricultural practices are both necessary and achievable, adding that “safer, affordable food through agroecology aligns directly with COFEK’s mandate.”

The group warns that failure to act could deepen public health risks and environmental degradation, urging immediate policy action to protect consumers and restore confidence in Kenya’s food safety systems.