The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has just completed a review of pesticides used across the country, leading to the withdrawal of 77 harmful pesticides from the market and restrictions on 202 others.
The review was spearheaded by the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), the national body, which ensures that all authorized pest control products (PCPs) in Kenya are safe for human health and the environment.
The PCPB examined 430 pesticides and used scientific data provided by manufacturers, alongside regulatory decisions from international agencies concerning the chemical compounds within these products.
As a direct result of these findings:
- 77 pesticides are now completely withdrawn from the Kenyan market.
- 202 pesticides face restricted use on various crops.
- An additional 151 pesticides are currently under review by the PCPB, with a decision expected by December 2025. Until then, the importation or use of these 151 products remains prohibited.
The Ministry has also reviewed the Draft Pest Control Products Bill. This bill has already approved by the Cabinet and will soon be presented to Parliament. The bill aims to significantly enhance the regulation of PCPs.
To further protect the public, the Ministry has implemented several new measures:
- All PCP products considered for registration in Kenya must now be registered in their country of origin.
- No pest control products globally banned under multilateral environmental agreements will be registered for use in Kenya.
- The importation of any chemical compound currently under review that is not approved in the European Union, the United States of America, Australia, and Canada is prohibited until the review is finalized.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS THAT HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND RESTRICTED AFTER REVIEW
| NO. | MOLECULE | USE | STATUS/ ACTION TAKEN |
| 1. | 2, 4-D Amine | Herbicide | Restricted. Not for use in Coffee |
| 2. | Abamectin | Miticide | Restricted. Not for use in open fields |
| 3. | Chlorpyrifos | Insecticide | Restricted for use as termiticide |
| 4. | Dimethoate | Insecticide | Restricted for use as termiticide |
| 5. | Imidacloprid | Insecticide | Restricted for use on non-open fields |
| 6. | Omethoate | Insecticide | Restricted for use in non-edibles only |
| 7. | Propineb | Fungicide | Restricted. NOT for use on edibles crops |
| 8. | Iprodione | Fungicide | Restricted. NOT for use on edibles crops |
| 9. | Oxydemeton- methyl | Insecticide | Importation stopped until review is concluded |
| 10 | Mancozeb | Fungicide | Reviewed, awaiting decision |
| 11 | Permethrin | Insecticide | Reviewed awaiting decision |
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS AND ASSOCIATED PESTICIDES WITHDRAWN FROM KENYAN MARKET
| NO. | MOLECULE | USE |
| 1. | Acephate | Insecticide |
| 2. | Chlorothalonil | Fungicide |
| 3. | Pymetrozine | Insecticide |
| 4. | Thiacloropid | Insecticide |
| 5. | Diuron | Herbicide |
| 6. | POE Tallow Amine | Co-formulant |
| 7. | Kasugamycin | Fungicide |
| 8. | Pyridalyl | Insecticide |
BANNED PESTICIDES IN KENYA
| NO. | COMMON NAME | USE |
| 1. | 2, 4, 5-T (2,4,5-
Trichloro- phenoxybutyric acid |
Herbicide |
| 2. | Chlordane | Insecticide |
| 3. | Chlordimeform | Insecticide |
| 4. | DDT ( Dichlorodiphenyl
Trichloroethane) |
Agriculture |
| 5. | Dibromochloropropane | Soil Fumigant |
| 6. | Endrin | Insecticide |
| 7. | Ethylene dibromide –
EDB (1,2- dibromoethane) |
Soil Fumigant |
| 8. | Heptachlor | Insecticide |
| 9. | Toxaphene (
Camphechlor) |
Insecticide |
| 10 | 5 Isomers of Hexachlorocyclo-
hexane |
Fungicide |
| 11 | Ethyl Parathion | Insecticide (All formulations banned except for capsule
suspensions) |
| 12 | Methyl Parathion | Insecticide (All formulations banned except for capsule
suspensions) |
| 13 | Captafol | Fungicide |
| 14 | Aldrin | Insecticide |
| 15 | Benomyl, Carbofuran, Thiram combinations | Dustable powder formulations containing Benomyl
>7%, Carbofuran >10%, Thiram >15% |
| 16 | Binapacryl | Miticide/Fumigant |
| 17 | Chlorobenzilate | Miticide |
| 18 | Dieldrin | Insecticide |
| 19 | Dinoseb and Dinoseb salts | Herbicide |
| 20 | DNOC and its salts | Insecticide, Fungicide, Herbicide |
| 21 | Ethylene Dichloride | Fumigant |
| 22 | Ethylene Oxide | Fumigant |
| 23 | Fluoroacetamide | Rodenticide |
| 24 | Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) | Fungicide |
| 25 | Mercury Compounds | Fungicides, seed treatment |
| 26 | Pentachlorophenol | Herbicide |
| 27 | Phosphamidon | Insecticide (Soluble liquid formulations >1000 g active
ingredient/L) |
| 28 | Parathion | Insecticide |
| 29 | Monocrotophos | Insecticide/Acaricide |
| 30 | All Tributylin Compounds | Includes tributyltin oxide, benzoate, fluoride, lineoleate, methacrylate, naphthenate, chloride |
| 31 | Chlordane | Insecticide |
| 32 | Alpha-Hexachlorocyclohexane | By-product of Lindane manufacture |
| 33 | Beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane | By-product of Lindane manufacture |
| 34 | Mirex | Insecticide |
| 35 | Alachlor | Herbicide |
| 36 | Aldicarb | Nematicide/Insecticide/Acaricide |
| 37 | Endosulfan | Insecticide |
| 38 | Lindane | Insecticide |
| 39 | Azimphos-methyl | Insecticide |
| 40 | Methamidophos | Insecticide |
| 41 | Cerboluran | Insecticide |
| 42 | Phorate | Insecticide |
| 43 | Dicofol | Insecticide |
| 44 | Trichlorfon | Insecticide |
| 45 | Terbufos | Insecticide |