In June 2025, a new EAC Seed and Plant Varieties Bill has been tabled in East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). An earlier draft Bill from 2018 had stalled after facing heavy opposition from civil society in the region. However, even the new Bill bears big risks for farmers as well as seed diversity and impairs national sovereignty of member states.
During the seed policy workshop organized in July 2025 by TABIO in Dar es Salaam, some participants have brought the attention to the EAC Seed and Plant Varieties Bill. After first discussions in Dar es Salaam, Seed Savers’ Network Kenya, initiated a dialogue with other CSOs from the region to further analyse the Bill and to come to joint positions within the civil society of the region. Together with numerous other organisations they organised a webinar on 11th of September to shed light on the potential impact of the Bill for farmers in the region(webinar report).
Peter Munyi, legal expert from Kenya specialized on intellectual property rights and genetic resources, conducted a legal analysis to assess the potential impact for farmers’ rights in EAC member states. In his report, commissioned by CROPS4HD and APBREBES, he concludes that the bill one-sidedly serves the interests of the formal seed system and poses a treat for farmers and seed diversity in EAC. As almost all member states have established their own legislations on seeds and plant variety protection, he questions the need for a law on EAC level and highlights that it would lead to contradictory legislation and legal uncertainty.
The Bill will undergo public consultation in January 2026 before EALA decides on its adoption.