Dr Auma Obama now wants Kenyans to reject introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into the country.
Obama, who is sister to former US President Barack Obama, claimed GMOs will be harmful to indigenous crops which are lifeline to thousands of subsistence farmers in the country.
“Please dear Kenyans DON’T allow GMO to penetrate our markets! This is a crop that HAS TO be bought to be planted. Seeds DO NOT produce fruit, cereal or veg. (Think STERILE!) & cross-pollinate organic plants that mutate to GMO. Subsistent farming – life line of the poor -endangered!” Obama tweeted.
“Then we are in trouble. I thought we just bought the produce and that most farmers declined the one way seeds. The millennium villages didn’t succeed because (among other factors) many subsistent farmers opted out,” she added.
Obama is a member of the World Future Council, an organisation that works worldwide to promote responsible, sustainable thinking and action on behalf of future generations.
Her remarks comes after President William Ruto lifted a longstanding ban on GMOs arguing there is no conclusive evidence suggesting that the modified crops are harmful to human health.
“I am a scientist, and scientists world over are in agreement that GMOs are not harmful to human beings. There is no evidence suggesting GMOs are harmful to human health. There is no woman who has grown beards because of consuming GMOs. I haven’t grown breasts despite taking GMOs regularly,” said Ruto in a recent interview.
