Petitioners contest High Court ruling on unregistered seed laws
Fifteen petitioners, including smallholder farmers and Greenpeace Africa, have appealed a High Court decision that struck down key sections of Kenya’s Seed and Plant Varieties Act, arguing the ruling threatens farmer rights, autonomy, and traditional seed systems...
✨ Key Highlights
A coalition of 15 petitioners, including smallholder farmers and Greenpeace Africa, have filed an appeal against a High Court decision that overturned significant sections of Kenya's Seed and Plant Varieties Act. The petitioners argue that the previous ruling, which allowed farmers to freely exchange unregistered seeds, misinterpreted constitutional rights and negatively impacts farmer autonomy.
- The appeal challenges Sections 3A, 8A, 10(4), 20(1) and 20(1E) of the Act, along with the Seed and Plant Varieties (Seeds) Regulations, 2016.
- Key organizations involved are smallholder farmers and Greenpeace Africa.
- The original High Court ruling, delivered on November 28 by Justice Rhoda Rutto, had nullified provisions restricting seed saving and handling.
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Regulators Fine Directline Assurance and DTB; Petitioners Appeal High Court Seed Law Ruling - December 2025
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has fined Directline Assurance Company Limited 85 million Kenyan Shillings for abusing its buyer power against two small motor vehicle repair firms, Kilele Motors Limited and Midland Autocare Limited. In a separate regulatory action, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) fined Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) Kenya and its Uganda subsidiary a combined Sh500,000 for breaching Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019, following a complaint about mishandling customer data. Meanwhile, in a legal matter, a coalition of 15 petitioners, including smallholder farmers and Greenpeace Africa, have filed an appeal against a High Court decision. The petitioners contest the ruling that overturned significant sections of Kenya's Seed and Plant Varieties Act.
