Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary, Moses Kuria was today set to clear the way for the importation of 10 million bags of duty-free Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) maize. This comes barely few weeks after several cases of hunger was reported.

The CS Kuria had earlier announced that he will sign the gazette notice authorising the shipment of 10 million bags of duty-free maize into the country. Additionally, the duty-free window for the importation of the maize is expected to last six months.

However, in what is likely to cause a wrangle, especially among opposition politicians and groups that defied to the lifting of the ban on GMO products, Kuria, albeit with a light touch stated that there was no harm in bringing in GMO maize.

“We have two deliberate steps. One is that we have so many things that can kill us in this country,” he said at the Strathmore Business School during a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises forum. “Living in this country you are a candidate for death,” he said, sending the audience into sustained laughter.