Education assistant minister Prof Ayiecho Olweny addressing the press at Parliament Building on July 22, 2011. Prof Olweny is supporting the consumption of genetically modified food. Photo/TOM MARUKO
By NATION REPORTER
Posted Friday, July 22 2011 at 19:01
Posted Friday, July 22 2011 at 19:01
Genetically modified food is not harmful to eat, an assistant minister has said.
Education assistant minister Ayiecho Olweny asked Kenyans to ignore false claims about the food.
“I have eaten genetically modified food in South Africa and I have not died. I have not had any negative effect from eating it,” he said at a press conference at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi.
Prof Olweny, who taught genetics and agriculture at Nairobi and Maseno universities before becoming an MP, refuted claims that GM food had negative effects.
He said GM crops were the product of research in agriculture just as technological advances resulted in the development of mobile phones.
He said Kenya had the capacity to handle GM products, contrary to the assertion made by Public Health minister Beth Mugo a week ago.
“I’ll say that here, and I’ll say it again tomorrow,” said Prof Olweny.
He said the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, the International Livestock Research Institute and universities could handle the products.
Prof Olweny claimed there were chances Kenyans were wearing clothes made of genetically modified cotton from China, which has 3.5 million hectares of the cotton.
“The most likely thing is that the dress you are wearing, the shirt, the underwear, the towel you use to wipe yourself is made of GM cotton. Have you felt anything?” he posed.
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