Kenya is among African countries listed as having commercially cultivated genetically modified crops, alongside South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Sudan and Malawi. In Kenya, the crop currently associated with commercial cultivation is Bt cotton.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The information is contained in a global list of commercialised genetically modified organisms published by the National Biosafety Authority, covering plants, animals, microorganisms and veterinary vaccines as of June 2026.

Bt cotton is a genetically modified cotton plant designed to protect itself against certain caterpillar pests, particularly the African bollworm, a major cotton pest in Kenya, and the term “Bt” comes from  Bacillus thuringiensis , a naturally occurring soil bacterium whose insect-killing trait is introduced into the cotton plant.

Kenya approved the cultivation and importation of Bt cotton seed in December 2019, with commercial planting beginning in 2020. This was introduced after years of decline in the country's cotton industry, which had been affected by pests, low yields, high input costs, weak seed systems, and problems across the cotton value chain.

📌 What You Need to Know

Before Bt cotton was commercialised, cotton had become a relatively small and struggling sector despite once serving as an important smallholder cash crop and source of raw material for Kenya's textile industry.

African bollworm was one of the major challenges facing farmers, with growers often relying on repeated pesticide applications to protect their crops, and the Bt variety was promoted as a way of reducing bollworm losses, cutting some pesticide use, and improving yields.

The technology was also linked to wider plans to revive Kenya's textile and apparel industry by increasing the supply of locally produced cotton to ginneries and other processors.

According to the latest detailed country data, about 14,575 hectares of Bt cotton were cultivated across 21 counties in 2025, and the crop was estimated to produce an average of about 12,000 bales of lint annually, with ginneries operating in counties including Makueni, Kitui, Tharaka Nithi, Baringo, Busia and Meru.

Supporters of Bt cotton have pointed to higher yields, reduced pesticide use against bollworm and improved farmer incomes as some of its potential benefits. However, the results can vary depending on rainfall, soil conditions, access to seed, farm management and the presence of other pests.

The introduction of Bt cotton has not, however, solved all the problems that weakened Kenya's cotton industry ; farmers continue to face challenges including access to affordable seed, input costs, weak marketing systems, processing constraints and competition from imported second-hand clothing.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke