Kenya is seeking to strengthen its biosafety communication strategies in a bid to effectively combat biosafety-related misinformation and enhance public trust on science-based biosafety decisions. This emerged during a biosafety communication training held in Nairobi on May 2-3, 2024.

Speaking during the workshop, Dr. Roy Mugiira, the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya's National Biosafety Authority (NBA) hinted that the Authority will soon roll out a new corporate communication strategy that recognizes the need to proactively reduce the harm of misinformation about biosafety issues.

"The public needs to understand what we are saying; that is why the NBA has developed a Biosafety communication strategy. The strategy has been approved by the Board and will be rolled out to the public," explained Dr. Mugiira. The strategy, he said, also considers the media as an important player in raising public awareness about biosafety processes and decisions to all cadre of society.

Bringing together Kenyan biosafety regulators, the workshop brainstormed on the dangers of misinformation on biosafety decisions and proposed a raft of measures to deal with this challenge. Revamping public education on modern biotechnology and biosafety was fronted as key in strengthening public confidence in biosafety decisions. The regulators also resolved to develop a glossary of modern biotechnology and biosafety terminologies as a strategy to simplify agri-biotech communication and enhance knowledge among the general citizenry.

The workshop also offered the regulators an opportunity to strengthen their skills in science communication and enhance their confidence when dealing with media. Regulators from NBA, the National Environment Management Authority, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Pest Control Products Board, Directorate of Veterinary Services and the Ministries in charge of Health, Education and Agriculture attended the two-day workshop.

For more information about science communication opportunities, contact Dr. Margaret Karembu at mkarembu@isaaa.org.

See https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=20807