KEPHIS Enhances Surveillance of Banana Pests Using APP Digital Tools

In July 2026, KEPHIS conducted surveillance of banana pests using the African Phytosanitary Program (APP) digital tools, which have become useful to the country’s pest monitoring system. These tools are vital because they integrate mobile diagnostics, geospatial mapping, and real-time reporting, allowing inspectors to capture standardized data quickly and accurately across diverse agro-ecological zones. By digitizing surveillance, APP enhances early detection capacity, strengthens transparency, and supports regional harmonization of phytosanitary standards. This approach ensures that Kenya’s monitoring of Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (FOC TR4) remains both efficient and credible to stakeholders and trading partners

The July 2026 exercise covered major banana-growing regions; Taveta, Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Bungoma, Kisii, and Migori, where inspectors and plant health officers systematically collected field data. As in previous years, the surveillance confirmed that neither BBTV nor FOC TR4 has been detected in Kenya to date. This outcome highlights the importance of sustained vigilance and regional collaboration in protecting banana production, farmer livelihoods, and export markets. By maintaining annual surveillance, Kenya continues to set a benchmark for proactive pest risk management and agricultural biosecurity in the region.