Why Kenya could be facing pesticide poisoning pandemic

Kenyans could be facing a pesticide poisoning pandemic owing to exposure to harmful chemicals. [File, Standard]

A sorry state of affairs has been revealed in tests done on 89 Kenyans who are seeking to join a class action case filed by the African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action and Kelvin Kubai against the government and pesticide companies operating in Kenya.

Environment and Land Court judge Grace Kemei in September last year directed the lobby group to advertise for any person who had been affected by the use of glyphosate, paraquat, imidacloprid, clothianidin, fipronil, chlorpyrifos, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, fenitrothion, malathion, and dinotefuran to join the case.

From the advertisement, it emerges that 89 individuals showed up.

They now want the court to allow them to join the case, banking on tests allegedly done and showing that they were either directly or indirectly affected by the use of the agrochemicals, especially paraquat and glyphosate.

 “As detailed in the supporting affidavit of Prof Zakayo Thaimuta, they have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, skin problems, stomach disorders, neurological problems, bereavements, stomach problems, multiple organ failures, degenerative nervous disorders, parkinsonism, hypertension and secondary effects to their environment, including soil, water and their overall ecosystem disruption,” the application filed in February this year reads.

The lobby has sued Agrochemicals Association of Kenya, Monsanto Kenya Limited, Bayer East Africa, BASF East Africa, Twiga Chemicals Industries Limited, Pest Control Products Board, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, Ministry of Health and Kenya Consumers Protection Advisory Committee and the Attorney General.

Kubai said that those who came out include farmers, consumers, farm workers, sprayers and agro vet attendants.

Prof Thumaita, in his supporting affidavit, claimed that he, alongside Dr George Maina, prepared screening tools for the tests. He said that paraquat is the most commonly used herbicide in Kenya.

According to him, toxicity occurs mainly via a mechanism involving the production of large amounts of toxic free radicals.

“These toxic free radicals cause lipid peroxidation in the cell membrane, exhaust nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), and lead to cell death,” adding that poisoning manifests through lung damage.

“These effects occur during the first several hours following paraquat ingestion. Production of toxic free radicals and subsequent inflammation leads to lung fibrosis and respiratory failure. Paraquat also attacks other organs. In larger doses, paraquat ingestion can cause multi- organ failure and death,” the human pathology expert stated.

He further claimed that urine is the best way of testing the herbicide’s presence in the human body.

According to him, test results showing darker than navy blue in the initial 24 hours of testing meant there is a high probability the person will die.

 On the other hand, Kubai claimed that those tested had a history of pesticide use.

Kenyans could be facing a pesticide poisoning pandemic owing to exposure to harmful chemicals. [File, Standard]

“The initial patient history depicted a plethora of pesticide-related health symptoms associated with pesticide exposure in human beings including skin problems, stomach disorders, neurological system disturbances (dizziness, headache) stomach problems, chest problems, allergic conditions on the skin and the respiratory system, low or high cholinesterase levels to the persons involved with these chemicals, parkinsonism, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and critical organ failures, a clear reflection of a failure in the disposal and use of pesticides at the individual, group or community level,” he claimed.

He urged the court to direct that each of the persons should be medically monitored to ensure that they do not die.

According to him, none of them can manage the ailments.

The first person we codename AC is 55 years old. She was allegedly tested on February 3, 2026, and her urine allegedly showed that she had high levels of paraquat and glyphosate.

“The detected level is over 92 times the reference limit. Paraquat is a highly toxic substance; even low concentrations in the urine can be associated with severe organ damage, specifically targeting the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis), kidneys, and liver. This level possesses a risk of complications that is critically high due to potential reduced metabolic clearance,” a court document reads in part.

The second person, codenamed JAM, 48, is claimed to have 131 times the reference limit. The third one allegedly had 14 times the reference limit of paraquat, and 16 times the limit for glyphosate exposure.

From the group, the highest exposure is said to be that of a 64-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman who allegedly had 292 times above the paraquat limit and 68 times the glyphosate limit.

He is followed by a 51-year-old woman codenamed HK who allegedly had 244 times the reference limit for paraquat toxicity and 68 times the glyphosate exposure.

The test results, which are part of the application to allow the 87 to join the case as petitioners, create a grim picture of the herbicides and pesticides use in the country.

However, the global agrochemical giants and the Ministry, in their responses to the case, argue that the 11 chemicals listed in the case are harmless and cannot affect the health of the user or the environment.

They asserted that the case has no merit and ought to be dismissed.