The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) is set to use football to fight misinformation on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
The approach seeks to leverage the popularity and unifying power of football as a platform for promoting public awareness and understanding of biosafety, modern biotechnology GMOs, while providing a structured and competitive platform for grassroots football clubs, according to NBA acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Ann Karimi.
The Authority is mandated to ensure an adequate level of protection in the transfer, handling and use of GMOs while facilitating public awareness, education and participation on biosafety matters, and the tournament will combine competitive football with structured community sensitization activities.
“The tournament will engage youth, farmers, community leaders and the general public with accurate, science-based information on GMOs and biosafety, helping to address misconceptions and counter misinformation,” said Karimi.
The first edition of the NBA awareness football tournament featuring 112 teams from five sub-counties in Kakamega County will kick off on Sunday in Mumias East constituency.
The three-months tournament, organised in collaboration with Kakamega branch of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) will focus on addressing misinformation around GMOs through sports.
The supporting theme for the tournament which will run from September 6th December 23rd 2026 is “Playing for Facts”: advancing biosafety awareness and combating GMO misinformation through football.”
It will involve teams drawn from Butere, Mumias East, Mumias West, Matungu and Khwisero sub-counties.
Karimi said the football component will promote talent identification and development, strengthen football administration at Sub-County level, improve football facilities and equipment, and foster positive community engagement.
Each Sub-County will host a 16-team competition over approximately three months, culminating in a Regional Championship in December 2026.
The general objective of the tournament is to utilize football as a community engagement platform for promoting biosafety awareness, enhancing public understanding of GMOs, combating misinformation, and advancing grassroots football development in the County.
