KEPHIS Hosts High-Level Forum on Safe Food and Humanitarian Aid

The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) today hosted the official opening of the Focus Group on Safe Food and Humanitarian Aid (FGSA) at its headquarters in Karen -Nairobi. The forum brings together key stakeholders from the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the African Union’s Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC), FAO, WFP, and other partners to address the critical issue of safeguarding agriculture while delivering humanitarian aid.

Speaking at the event, KEPHIS Chairman Hon. Joseph Eruaki reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to ensuring that food aid is free from pests and contaminants.

“As a country that plays a key role in regional humanitarian logistics, we must ensure that all aid entering, leaving, or transiting through Kenya adheres to international phytosanitary standards,” he said.

Prof. Theophilus Mutui, Managing Director of KEPHIS, emphasized the agency’s regulatory role in protecting Kenya’s agriculture from invasive pests, especially during emergencies.

“We have strengthened our inspection and certification systems to ensure that humanitarian food aid is safe, traceable, and compliant with global standards,” he noted.

The FGSA seeks to develop practical, risk-based frameworks and technical guidelines for managing the movement of food aid, in line with the IPPC’s global recommendation on food aid and phytosanitary emergencies.

This initiative aligns with the Government  Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritizes food security, resilience, and sustainable agricultural growth.

The week-long forum is expected to produce actionable recommendations to enhance the safety, speed, and effectiveness of humanitarian response efforts across Africa