The Environment and Land Court has confirmed that a public notice inviting affected farmers, workers, and community members to join a petition challenging the use of certain agrochemicals in Kenya was duly published in a local daily.
The confirmation came in a case filed by the African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action (ACCPA) and activist Kelvin Mugambi Kubai, who are seeking to block the use and distribution of several widely used pesticides over claims that they pose serious risks to human health, the environment, and agricultural exports.
The petitioners want the court to outlaw chemicals including glyphosate, paraquat, imidacloprid, clothianidin, fipronil, chlorpyrifos, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, fenitrothion, malathion, and dinotefuran, describing them as “defective and dangerous.”
Respondents named in the suit include the Agrochemicals Association of Kenya; multinational corporations Monsanto Kenya, Syngenta East Africa, Bayer East Africa, BASF East Africa, and Twiga Chemicals Industries Ltd.; and several state agencies—the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Food Authority, KEPHIS, Council of Governors, Kenya Consumers Protection Advisory Committee, and the Attorney General.
In their pleadings, ACCPA and Kubai argue that the continued circulation of the listed pesticides undermines constitutional rights, including the right to life (Article 26), the right to a clean and healthy environment (Article 42), and consumer rights to safe goods and adequate information (Article 46).
They also cite scientific findings and international restrictions — including the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s classification of glyphosate as a probable carcinogen and the European Union’s ban on certain neonicotinoids to protect pollinators — as evidence of the risks posed by the chemicals.
The petitioners further allege that some Kenyan horticultural exports have been rejected in foreign markets due to excessive pesticide residues, underscoring the need for stronger food safety regulations and a shift toward agro-ecological farming practices.
Justice Grace Kemei confirmed that the court-ordered advertisement had been placed in a national newspaper, effectively opening the door for victims, survivors, and affected communities to join the case.
The matter is now scheduled for mention on February 5, 2026, for further directions.