{"id":57608,"date":"2025-05-21T09:38:39","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T09:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/?p=57608"},"modified":"2025-05-22T09:45:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T09:45:57","slug":"kenyan-farmers-civil-society-and-advocates-take-seed-fight-to-court-in-landmark-case-for-food-sovereignty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/press\/57608\/kenyan-farmers-civil-society-and-advocates-take-seed-fight-to-court-in-landmark-case-for-food-sovereignty\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenyan farmers, civil society, and advocates take seed fight to court in landmark case for food sovereignty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Soundbytes: Click here<\/a>, Photos: Click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

In the quiet court corridors of Machakos, a storm has been brewing\u2014one not about legal technicalities, but about seeds, sovereignty, and the survival of a farming culture.<\/p>\n\n

On 20 May, fifteen smallholder farmers from across Kenya stepped into the High Court to challenge the constitutionality of Kenya\u2019s Seed and Plant Varieties Act (Cap. 326), a law they say criminalises their very way of life. The case, supported by Greenpeace Africa, Seed Savers Network, and the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA), could redefine the country\u2019s agricultural future.<\/p>\n\n

At the centre of the petition is a clause that forbids the exchange, sale, or use of uncertified seeds, including traditional and indigenous varieties. Farmers argue that these laws, enforced with steep fines and even jail time, target the country\u2019s poorest growers and sever ties to centuries-old seed practices.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis law criminalises the legacy of our grandmothers,\u201d<\/em> said Justus Mwololo, <\/strong>one of the petitioners. \u201cWe\u2019re not just defending seeds\u2014we\u2019re defending a whole history of resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The courtroom was packed with advocates and farmers alike, many in traditional attire, bearing placards that read: \u201cOur grandmothers fed nations, now you call them criminals?\u201d<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>Outside, the air was charged with chants and song as a peaceful procession marched through Machakos town.<\/p>\n\n

Inside, the arguments were precise and passionate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe Constitution guarantees the right to culture and food,\u201d<\/em> <\/strong>said Alvin Munandick, appearing on behalf of Greenpeace Africa. <\/strong>\u201cSeed sharing is not a crime. It\u2019s an ancestral practice.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\u201cWhat these provisions allow is shocking,<\/em>\u201d<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>added Wambugu Wanjohi, representing the Law Society of Kenya. <\/strong>\u201cSeed inspectors are empowered to raid farmers\u2019 homes and seize property. This is a violation of privacy, property rights, and human dignity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

The case has rallied broad support from civil society. According to Ann Maina, National Coordinator of BIBA<\/strong>, this legal battle is about much more than seeds.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about food security. About biodiversity. About resisting a top-down system that tries to put our food under lock and key,<\/em>\u201d<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>she said.<\/p>\n\n

Daniel Wanjama, from the Seed Savers Network,<\/strong> pointed out that over 80% of seeds used by Kenyan farmers come from informal, farmer-managed systems.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cTo criminalise this is to criminalise the backbone of our food system,\u201d<\/em> <\/strong>he warned. <\/strong>\u201cAnd it puts us all at risk of hunger.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

The government has yet to formally respond to the petitioners\u2019 claims, but the stakes are already clear. If the court rules in favour of the farmers, it could upend a seed policy landscape long dominated by private agribusiness and shift the power back to communities.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis case is a fight for the right to exist as a farmer,\u201d<\/em> <\/strong>said Penninah Ngahu, <\/strong>another petitioner. \u201cIf the government wants more seeds, why not invest in us? We\u2019ve been growing food for generations.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

As the court adjourned, the date of judgment, 27 November 2025,<\/strong> was etched into the minds of everyone present. For the farmers, it marks not just a legal verdict but a test of Kenya\u2019s constitutional commitment to cultural heritage, food rights, and ecological justice.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cSeed is life,\u201d <\/strong>said Claire<\/strong> Nasike Akello,<\/strong> food scientist and food sovereignty advocate. \u201cAnd life cannot be patented, regulated out of reach, or stolen from the hands that feed us.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

For further information, interviews, or media inquiries, please contact:<\/strong>

Ferdinand Omondi, Communication and Story Manager, Greenpeace Africa, Email: fomondi@greenpeace.org<\/a>,\u00a0Cell: 0722 505 233<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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