Reacting to last weekend's inferno that razed down the Kenya Seed's administration block, Rono said investigations into the fire should be widened to include the multinationals.
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Seed Giants Accused of Sabotage
The East African Standard (Nairobi), April 15, 2004
Vincent Bartoo
Nairobi
http://allafrica.com/stories/200404150342.html

Kenyans have been urged to be wary of the activities of multi-national seed companies.  A former manager of Kenya Seed Company, Mr Michael Rono, said some of the problems facing the agricultural sector have their roots in the quest by the multinational firms to penetrate the Kenyan market.

Rono said the multi-nationals have particularly been keen on introducing Genetically Modified (GMO) seeds into the Kenyan market and urged the government to be on the alert over their activities.  "They will not rest until the have wrestled the Kenyan market from KSC," said Rono, the firm's former marketing and processing manager.

Reacting to last weekend's inferno that razed down the Kenya Seed's administration block, Rono said investigations into the fire should be widened to include the multinationals.  In the meantime, he said, the Government should establish strict security measures at Kenya Seed and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) where the firm's seeds are produced.

Kenya Seed is the largest seed company in the East and Central African region.

"We should not gamble with the company, we must protect it at all costs as it is viable investment worth over Sh1 billion," he said.  He was particularly emphatic that Kenya Seed's Elgon Downs, where the country's strategic seed reserves are kept should be heavily guarded.