Legal Petition Targets Pesticide Sales in Timau
Nearly 200 times the permissible reference limit for paraquat appeared in the urine sample of 30-year-old Reuben Muriki, testing revealed during a class-action push in Kenya. Muriki is one of 87 people seeking to join a court petition challenging the sale of highly hazardous pesticides by major agrochemical companies and the Kenyan government.
Muriki lost consciousness while doing chores at his home near Timau, a horticultural town of about 10,000 residents in central Kenya. His joints swelled, his skin discolored, and he quit his job as a pesticide sprayer at a flower farm. Doctors initially treated him for suspected tuberculosis without success. Today, he speaks incoherently, struggles with memory, and relies on his mother for round-the-clock care.
Chemical Levels Exceed Reference Limits Across Applicants
Environmental and human rights lawyer Kelvin Kubai and the nonprofit African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action filed the initial lawsuit in 2022. Last November, the court permitted the petitioners to invite affected individuals to join the case. Scientists hired by the petitioners subsequently tested all 87 applicants for paraquat and glyphosate.
Every single applicant showed levels of both chemicals above permissible limits, according to Kubai. Prof Zakayo Thaimuta, a pathologist working with the petitioners, stated that all 87 people presented with at least three major medical conditions. The most common diagnoses among the group were Parkinson’s disease, throat inflammation, and pulmonary fibrosis.
Agrochemical Companies Defend Products Amid Pesticide Petition
The petition names agrochemical companies including Monsanto, Syngenta, and Bayer. Greenpeace reported in April that nearly half of the 141 active pesticide ingredients registered in Kenya last year were classified as highly hazardous pesticides. Two UN agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, note that these substances present high levels of acute or chronic hazards.
Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2016, stated that its products are safe for humans and the environment when applied according to label instructions. A Syngenta spokesperson maintained that all products sold in Kenya follow regulatory standards and safety guidelines. The Pest Control Products Board declined to comment because the matter is before the court.
Past Workers Link Farm Labor to Chronic Illness
Margaret Mwanjaro, Muriki’s mother, worked on a horticultural farm weeding and picking roses for five years until 2017. She reported starting work in greenhouses early in the morning without personal protective equipment, just hours after chemicals were sprayed. She developed body blisters, inflamed skin, and a constant cough before quitting.
In 2013, she felt a sharp pain in her neck and back while heading to work at a horticulture farm. Stephen Muriungi worked as a sprayer for two-and-a-half years, wearing an apron and gloves while pumping chemicals from a rucksack. He began experiencing severe headaches in 2018, leading to weakened legs.
Kenya Receives Banned European Pesticides as Cancer Cases Rise
Data obtained by Unearthed and Public Eye showed that European companies sent export notifications to the European Chemicals Agency in 2024 to send 474 tonnes of pesticides to Kenya. Many of these active ingredients are banned in the European Union due to health and environmental risks. Eustace Gacanja of the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network called the practice a double standard.
Meanwhile, patient numbers at the cancer center at Meru Teaching and Referral hospital continue to rise. Dr. Stephen Chege, who heads the center, is a pathologist who worked with the petitioners.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Timau Pesticide Case
What specific chemicals were found in the applicants?
Pathologists tested the 87 applicants and found elevated levels of paraquat and glyphosate.
Which companies are named in the court petition?
The lawsuit targets agrochemical firms including Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer, and Syngenta.
What medical conditions are most common among the affected workers?
According to the medical evaluations presented in the case, the most frequent diagnoses are Parkinson’s disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and throat inflammation.
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