The Kenyans taking on multinational chemical companies

Summary

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The Kenyans Taking on Multinational Chemical Companies

The Documentary Podcast – BBC World Service
Host: Josephine Casserly
Date: July 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this compelling episode, Josephine Casserly travels to Nairobi and the "food basket" region of Kenya to closely follow a landmark court case. At its heart are Kenyan farm workers, health professionals, and a determined young lawyer seeking justice for people allegedly harmed by hazardous pesticides and herbicides used in Kenyan agriculture—many of which are banned in Europe. The story explores the health impacts, regulatory gaps, local voices, and the daunting legal and scientific battle against multinational chemical companies.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Nairobi Court Case (01:18 – 04:22)

• Activist-Lawyer Alliance:
  The case is spearheaded by lawyer Kelvin Kubai, with support from activist nurse Prisca and farm workers, some visibly unwell.
• Question of Justice:
  “Do Africans, do Kenyans deserve a clean and healthy environment and clean food as Europeans do, as Americans do? … Our answer is to the affirmative. Yes.” (Kelvin Kubai, 01:18)
• Class Action Approach:
  The court is debating whether more affected farm workers can join the suit, potentially expanding it into a class action.

2. Field Research: The Food Basket of Kenya (04:22 – 10:05)

• Health Concerns in Farming Communities:
  Many farm workers and their families report health issues including cancer and neurological disorders. Prisca notes a sharp deterioration in both environmental and public health.
  • “Currently I don’t see any butterflies. And people have also become unhealthy now. Get the cancers, the neurological conditions. We are getting infertility.” (Prisca, 07:53)
• Anecdotal Evidence:
  Farmers are often unaware of the exact chemicals they use due to low literacy and limited product information.
  • “We just go to the shop, ask for something that kills insects, kills weeds, and then we take what they give us. We don’t know what it’s called. We don’t always know what’s in it.” (Anonymous Farmer, paraphrased, 10:05)

3. Stories of Exposure and Medical Investigation (13:23 – 18:00)

• Pervasive Exposure and Lack of Protection:
  On-site observations reveal no use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among farmers and sprayers, including children.
• Personal Tragedy – The Sprayer with Parkinson's:
  The team meets a former sprayer, now suffering from severe Parkinson’s disease.
  • “During the time that he was working ... they were not using the PPEs.” (Dr. Miner, 16:47)
  • “He was diagnosed when he was only 44.” (Josephine Casserly, 17:18)

4. The Controversy of Paraquat and Regulation (18:00 – 22:10)

• Agricultural Chemicals Under Scrutiny:
  Paraquat, a herbicide banned in the EU and UK, has been widely sold and used in Kenya. It has links to Parkinson’s disease, though causation is disputed by manufacturers.
  • “What now is the remedy for the persons who’ve been using it for the last 15 years?... why did you continue allowing its usage?” (Kelvin Kubai, 20:45)
• Corporate Response:
  Syngenta, a major paraquat producer, denies causal links to Parkinson’s and insists on safety when products are used as directed.
• The Precautionary Principle in Environmental Law:
  • “…the fundamental principles of environmental law ... is one of them being the precautionary principle that in the absence of conclusive scientific evidence, it is best to incap precautionary measures…” (Kelvin Kubai, 21:09)

5. Scientific Findings: Community Testing (22:38 – 24:20)

• Widespread Paraquat Presence:
  Urine tests in the flower-farming region found paraquat in every sample tested.
  • “They found paraquat in every urine sample they’ve tested here.” (Josephine Casserly, 23:14)
• Neurological Problems:
  Out of 87 people assessed, 14 had Parkinson’s—all had paraquat in their urine.
  • “I’ve seen more desperate cases, and also most of them seem to have lost their sense of sensation because of the nervous. The nerves break down.” (Professor Thaimuta, 24:00)
  • “So how many people have you seen with that? ... Five.” (Josephine Casserly & Professor Thaimuta, 24:14–24:18)

6. Systemic Problems: Healthcare and Regulation (25:07 – 28:33)

• Dismal Ratio of Neurologists:
  Only one neurologist serves the vast Mount Kenya region of 7 million people.
  • “So you’re the one neurologist for about 7 million people?” — “Yes.” (25:22–25:25)
• Lack of National Data:
  No national registry for Parkinson’s or pesticide-related illnesses exists.
  • “We only have individual registries. ... Even no study on the prevalence.” (Kelvin Kubai, 25:40)
• Regulatory Defense:
  The Pest Control Products Board claims Kenya’s products are safe if guidelines are followed, questioning the activists' and scientists' research integrity.
  • “We have had people who do what we call targeted research with a predetermined outcome …” (Fredrick Machiri, CEO, PCPB, 27:23)
  • On PPE usage: “Maybe like 50% of them could not be using the right PPEs, but they use some form of protective clothing... the exposure ... might not be as alarming as reported by pesticide activists.” (Kelvin Kubai (for Machiri), 28:33)

7. The Challenge Ahead (29:07 – End)

• Legal and Scientific Hurdles:
  The team faces difficulties in tracing exposure, proving medical impact, and convincing the court without strong local data or widespread diagnoses.
  • “Where people are unsure what pesticides they’ve used, where many health conditions go undiagnosed, where there’s no record of the number of Parkinson’s cases, and where there’s limited uptake of PPE.” (Josephine Casserly, 29:07)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Kelvin Kubai (Lawyer):

  • “Do Africans, do Kenyans deserve a clean and healthy environment and clean food as Europeans do, as Americans do?... Yes.” (01:18)
  • “You are harming people who have no ability to fight back.” (09:56)
  • On regulation: “The precautionary principle … in the absence of conclusive scientific evidence, it is best to incap precautionary measures...” (21:09)
  • “What now is the remedy for the persons who’ve been using it for the last 15 years?...” (20:45)

• Prisca (Nurse & Activist):

  • On change: “When I’m here, I feel like I’m in a new place. It’s not the place where I grew up...” (07:53)
  • Personal concern: “Currently I don’t see any butterflies. And people have also become unhealthy now. Get the cancers, the neurological conditions. We are getting infertility.” (07:53)

• Professor Thaimuta (Forensic Scientist):

  • “It seems like that the herbicides use are very, very concentrated with paraquat or people are consuming more.” (23:05)
  • “I’ve seen more desperate cases, and also most of them seem to have lost their sense of sensation because of the nervous. The nerves break down.” (24:00)

• Dr. Miner (Toxicologist):

  • “During the time that he was working... they were not using any method of protection.” (16:47)

• Fredrick Machiri (CEO, Pest Control Products Board):

  • On research: “Anybody can say anything... We have had people who do what we call targeted research with a predetermined outcome...” (27:23)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:18–04:22: The scene at Nairobi courthouse; lawyers argue for inclusion of more claimants.
• 04:22–10:05: Field journey to farming region; nurse Prisca recounts the changes and emerging illnesses.
• 13:23–15:25: Meet the medical team; observing widespread pesticide use without PPE.
• 15:25–18:00: Interview with a Parkinson’s patient and discussion of exposure history.
• 18:00–22:10: Scientific evidence, the paraquat controversy, and regulatory responses.
• 22:38–24:20: Urine testing for paraquat and findings of widespread exposure.
• 25:07–28:33: Interviews with local neurologist and pesticide regulator; discussions of systemic underreporting and lack of regulation enforcement.
• 29:07–End: The ongoing challenge of building a strong, evidence-based legal case.

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Summary

This episode immerses listeners in the struggle for “clean and healthy” Kenyan agriculture, following those risking their health or lives in the fields and those fighting for change in the courts. Despite stories of illness and scientific investigation linking paraquat and other agrochemicals to neurological disorders, the burden of proof remains high amid a lack of medical records, regulatory loopholes, and strong corporate pushback. The episode is a sobering portrait of the intersection between international agribusiness, health, and justice in a rapidly changing Kenya.

Transcript

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[Josephine Casserly]

Welcome to the documentary podcast from the BBC World Service.

[Kelvin Kubai]

The question is, do Africans, do Kenyans deserve a clean and healthy environment and clean food as Europeans do, as Americans do? That is question that we have posed, and our answer is to the affirmative. Yes.

[Josephine Casserly]

Outside the law courts in Nairobi, TV cameras are huddled around an activist and a lawyer.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Thousands of Kenyans have been affected by the use of these pestilence. And what we see is really shocking.

[Josephine Casserly]

It's a strange, striking scene. They're both dressed in suits and they're passionately addressing the cameras. And behind them is a group of farmers, men and women. There's about 20 now, I would say farm workers and their families all gathered around. Some of them, I have to say, don't look very well. I know there's a lot of cancer patients here and I know they've traveled a really long way to be here today. They're here because today this court in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, is hearing a case about the use of chemicals in farming. It's brought by a young lawyer against the Kenyan government and several multinational chemical companies. This is Assignment on the BBC World Service. I'm Josephine Casserly, and in this edition, I'll be following this unprecedented case. It's November 2025, when I'm in Nairobi for the latest in a series of court dates. When I arrive at the courthouse, Kelvin Kubai, the young Kenyan lawyer who's the architect of this case, is running late. We're just rushing through security and Kelvin is trying to get his tie on. And so hopefully we're not running too late. I take a seat on the front row of the court. It's a large, echoey room that feels kind of like a school assembly hall. The front two rows are full of activists, lawyers and media. Then behind us are several rows of plastic chairs where the farm workers who file in quietly take a seat. At the front of the room is a wooden table where Kelvin sat with his laptop in front of him. It's connecting him by video call to the judge and the lawyers for the defendants. I believe his microphone is on my lady.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Can you know him?

[Josephine Casserly]

Today they're discussing whether Kelvin and his team can go out into communities to find people who they believe have been affected by agrochemicals. And for them to potentially join this case, making it akin to a class action. Outside, I meet Prisca. She's a nurse who's been at the heart of this case. She's in her mid-50s and has a shaved head and is wearing a bright pink blazer and large gold earrings. It's her who's accompanied many of these farm workers to the court. Did it feel like a success in there today?

[Prisca]

Yes, it's not going badly.

[Josephine Casserly]

So now they can be officially processed.

[Prisca]

Now they can officially be processed and they will be enjoying the case.

[Josephine Casserly]

It's a victory for Prisca and the lawyers, but this is only the start. The farm workers at the court today have a whole host of health issues and we don't know if they're actually linked to agrochemicals. Lawyer Kelvin and his team are arguing that hazardous chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides are used in large volumes in Kenyan farming. These products kill insects and weeds and they make farming, which is one of Kenya's key industries, more productive. But those bringing the case say that they're having a catastrophic effect on the health of many in this region. Some of the chemicals used here have been linked to cancer, Parkinson's disease and infertility, though the evidence is often disputed. According to data from 2020, 44% of pesticides used in Kenya are are banned in the eu. The quest to find proof of the impact of these chemicals is going to be far from straightforward. And this mission starts immediately. The next day, I go with Prisca to the part of the country where she grew up. We drive three hours north of Nairobi to a region that's called the Food Basket of Kenya because it's the country's agricultural engine. Produce grown here not only feeds Kenya, but is exporting to Europe, the Middle east and Elsewhere in Africa, could you

[Prisca]

see they are growing a lot of potatoes?

[Josephine Casserly]

Oh yeah. With the little white flowers on.

[Prisca]

Yes.

[Josephine Casserly]

In each village we pass through, vegetable stores line the road, hosting neatly arranged pyramids of potatoes, tomatoes and maize.

[Prisca]

From here now you start with the flower farms.

[Josephine Casserly]

Okay.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yes.

[Josephine Casserly]

Then suddenly we reach the town of Timau and the landscape is transformed.

[Prisca]

So you see how extensive the farms are.

[Josephine Casserly]

There's so many. It's absolutely. Long white tubes traverse the countryside, swallowing up the farmland and extending to the horizon. This is Kenya's flower farming region. The blooms are exported from here to the uk, the EU and elsewhere.

[Prisca]

If you lower our windows, you'd feel also the smell of the pesticide.

[Josephine Casserly]

Really? Okay, let's not do that.

[Prisca]

Let's not do it. Well.

[Josephine Casserly]

And inside those blisteringly hot greenhouses are sprayers. People whose job it is to spray fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. I don't know, I think I can smell it.

[Prisca]

So maybe even there is some that is seeping through.

[Josephine Casserly]

As we drive towards Prisca's village, the landscape changes again to small scale farms. Yeah, it's a real like patchwork of this very luscious green farmland.

[Prisca]

Down left.

[Josephine Casserly]

Most people here are farmers and many work for the large scale farms while tending their own plots of land. We go to the farm where Prisca

[Prisca]

grew up, we would climb the hills, we would run after the small rabbits and the like. Life was really colorful. I would say our landscape is quite like well sculpted by God. Because it's attractive.

[Josephine Casserly]

Yeah, I like well sculpted by God. It is, it's beautiful. It's really beautiful. It's like these hills that seem to come out of nowhere.

[Prisca]

Yes.

[Josephine Casserly]

And the crops are all stepped up the hill. When Prisca was a child, her mum would give her the job of weeding this field. She'd kneel down and push her fingers through the soil.

[Prisca]

But right now they no longer do that. They purely do the chemicals, the pesticides and the herbicides. In fact, when I'm here, I feel like I'm in a new place. Place. It's not the place where I grew up because many things have changed. And then we used to have a lot of like insects around. Currently I don't see any butterflies. And people have also become unhealthy now. Get the cancers, the neurological conditions. We are getting infertility.

[Josephine Casserly]

A few years ago, Prisca became really preoccupied with the changing health of her community and she started reading about the potential, potential impacts of pesticides. Much of the evidence in this area is contested and Far from conclusive, but for Prisca, it pointed to a possible explanation of what she was seeing. Then one evening, she came across a video online of a young lawyer.

[Prisca]

And I was like, huh, this guy is doing something similar to what I'm doing.

[Josephine Casserly]

Yeah.

[Prisca]

I wrote to him, an email. I introduced myself.

[Josephine Casserly]

She told him about the issues in her community and asked could they work together. The lawyer was Kelvin Kubay.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Right from a very young age. I remember many times I would actually be sent to the aggravate to buy some of these.

[Josephine Casserly]

Besides, Kelvin grew up in the hills of Timau, not far from Prisca, and his mother farmed vegetables on their land.

[Kelvin Kubai]

So many times my mom would ask me to read farm the instructions on the pest sites.

[Josephine Casserly]

She couldn't read well, so Kelvin helped her with measuring out the pesticides. Then she would do what everyone else does around here, pour them into a special rucksack or knapsack that's designed for this purpose and has a short hose attached to it.

[Kelvin Kubai]

That was my first interaction with his parasites.

[Josephine Casserly]

Just like Prisca, as Kelvin grew older, he eventually discovered the possible health impacts of these pesticides. And the more he learned, the more concerned he became. And then at university, he started training to be a lawyer.

[Kelvin Kubai]

I saw that now these manufacturers were taking advantage of the vulnerability of these people. You know, you are harming people who have no ability to fight back.

[Josephine Casserly]

When he was in his third year of university, he started drafting a petition, a legal document mounting the case against the Kenyan government and the chemical companies. Seven years and many, many drafts later, that document forms the basis of this case, which is now in court. I go with nurse Prisca to her health clinic in the village. On the wall, you've got a lot of information about. You've got the effect of smoking on one, but mainly it's about the effect of pesticides. This is the only clinic in the area, and as soon as Prisca arrives, people start queuing up outside. And I was just chatting to people and I mean, everybody's a farmer. And I was asking people what kind of pesticides have they used? And it's really just a complete cocktail of things. One guy was like, we don't even know what we're using. Most of the time. We just go to the shop, ask for something that kills insects, kills weeds, and then we take what they give us. We don't know what it's called. We don't always know what's in it. We certainly don't know the health effects of it. Literacy levels here are very low. And People don't know what products they're using. This is going to make building evidence to present in court a challenge. You're listening to the documentary.

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[Josephine Casserly]

This is assignment Kelvin, the lawyer pulls up outside the clinic. It's only a couple of days after the court case and he's accompanied by two scientists, Professor Thaimuta and Dr. Minor. They're experts in forensic science and toxicology and they've been brought on board by Kelvin to assess how these chemicals might be affecting people's health here. Once they've seen a few patients, we hit the road. The plan is to visit the homes of farm workers in the surrounding area. So we've just pulled over by the side of the road in Kirua, just around the corner corner from Prisca's village. And the scene that I can see right now just exemplifies how much these pesticides are used, because just in my line of sight, I can see two people spraying the field next to me. I can also see two young boys, probably about 13, carrying rucksacks, the pesticide rucksacks with the sprayers. And I can also see a guy just on this corner who's filling up rucksacks, obviously ready to use. And what's most striking is that none of them are wearing any sort of ppe. No gloves, no goggles, nothing. Many sprayers I see are wearing a T shirt or a skirt, their arms and legs bare. If you look at the labels on a lot of these pesticides and herbicides, they often advise with accompanying diagrams, that gloves, goggles and coveralls must be worn when using the products because they can be absorbed through the skin. But I speak to around a dozen farmers here and I observe many more, and not one of them uses the correct equipment. I hear stories of them being stored on top of the wardrobe in the bedroom and of someone mixing them with his bare hands. Much of the research on the health effects of pesticides is based on farmers in the us, where the vast majority use some kind of ppe. Our next stop is the village where Kelvin grew up. Is this your village, Kelvin?

[Kelvin Kubai]

It is my village. I think it's the most beautiful village in the world. Honestly, it gives me a lot of memories. Growing up, I swam in the rivers just downstream.

[Josephine Casserly]

Would you swim in the river now?

[Kelvin Kubai]

Oh, no.

[Josephine Casserly]

We go to a small wooden house per perched on the side of the hill and surrounded by farmland. Inside is a sofa and an armchair, and a curtain divides off the bedroom. We're greeted by a woman in her 50s. Her hair's tied up in a wrap and she seems a bit suspicious of us. But then, after Kelvin explains to her what we're doing, she helps her husband out from the bedroom behind the curtain and over to the sofa. And he needs her help. It's painful to watch. He's lost control of his legs and as he sits on the sofa, his body convulses. He gives us permission to record his consultation with toxicologist Dr. Miner.

[Kelvin Kubai]

We structured form for examination, so we have two form.

[Josephine Casserly]

The man is in his 50s and used to be a sprayer on one of the flower farms, and he and his wife farm a small plot of land around their house. They go through his medical history and his exposure to chemicals outside. I catch up with Dr. Miner.

[Kelvin Kubai]

During the time that he was working, he was working as a splayer and a gardener and they were not using any method of protection. They were not using the PPEs.

[Josephine Casserly]

In 2016, when he was in his 40s, he says his health deteriorated to the point that he had to stop, stop work.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Coordination of the speech in coordination of the movement, coordination of the muscle. You can see he's, he's having the tremors.

[Josephine Casserly]

Then 10 years ago, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. So he was diagnosed when he was only 44.

[Kelvin Kubai]

44. So young, so young, he's already. He started the medication in 2016. Then along the way, because of a financial issue, he could not be able to, to sustain that.

[Josephine Casserly]

He has a severe case of Parkinson's, a degenerative neurological condition which causes loss of control of the limbs. He says to Dr. Miner, who is tall and broad, in his 40s, I used to be just like you. It's chilling and hard to even imagine. There are studies from the US showing that agricultural workers are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease. And there's research that indicates this could be because of exposure to pesticides. But like many who work on the industrial scale farms, this man never knew what products he was spraying. But because of his condition, Dr. Miner fears he may have been exposed to one herbicide in particular, which we know is widely used in this region. Paraquat. It's a powerful weed killer that's been at the centre of thousands of lawsuits in the US from farmers claiming that they've developed Parkinson's disease as a result of their contact with paraquat. Agrochemical companies have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in out of court settlements. Exposure to paraquat has been linked to Parkinson's disease in several epidemiological studies. But there's no proof that exposure causes Parkinson's. And the evidence in this area is hotly contested, including by the agrochemical companies who sell the product. And there's one company which is closely associated with paraquat. Syngenta. It's a huge agrochemicals company headquartered in Switzerland. And its weed killer, Gramoxone, is one of the most well known and contentious paraquat products globally. Now, back in 2007, paraquat was banned in the EU and the UK. That wasn't because of its links to Parkinson's disease, but because if it's ingested, it can be deadly. But the product continued to be sold in markets where it was permitted we approached Syngenta and they told us that they reject the claim of a causal link between paraquat and Parkinson's disease because it's not supported by scientific evidence and that paraquat is safe when used according to its registered label guidelines. They told us that Syngenta's products have an important role in safeguarding crops from pests, which in Kenya can threaten entire harvests and pose catastrophic losses for both the farmer and the wider economy. They added, all products sold in Kenya are safety assessed and duly registered, packaged and labelled as required by Kenyan laws. In March this year, Syngenta stopped manufacturing Gramoxone altogether and they halted sales in Kenya back in 2021. This was for commercial reasons because cheaper competitors are on the market. But lawyer Kelvin Kabai claims that in the time that it's been on sale in Kenya, it's damaged the health of people in farming communities, contributing to neurological conditions. And Syngenta is one of several companies he's now taking legal action against.

[Kelvin Kubai]

What now is the remedy for the persons who've been using it for the last 15 years? When we've across the world better advanced scientific and regulatory authorities banning it, why did you continue allowing its usage? So what is the remedy for the people who are affected within that duration?

[Josephine Casserly]

We still don't know, do we, with a lot of these pesticides. So for example, with paraquat, it's been linked to Parkinson's but we don't know that it causes Parkinson's.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yeah, the science is uncertain and inconclusive, but the fundamental principles of environmental law, the recognized international principles of environmental law is one of them being the precautionary principle that in the absence of conclusive scientific evidence, it is best to incap precautionary measures to avoid affecting even more vast majority of people.

[Josephine Casserly]

Paraquat remains on sale in many brands in Kenya. It's an effective weed killer. So it's widely used. And what chemicals are they?

[Kelvin Kubai]

Okay, they're treading.

[Josephine Casserly]

Even his wife is spraying now, as we leave the house of the Parkinson's patient, we see his wife put on a backpack, we don't know what it contains and start spraying their farm.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yes, you can see even the way the weapons playing.

[Josephine Casserly]

Maybe we should move away a little bit.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yes, they are not even you can even take see an example. There's no use of the PPEs.

[Josephine Casserly]

She's also not wearing any mask. She's just wearing her skirt. And her task because paraquat's banned in the EU and the UK produce that has residues of paraquat shouldn't be imported into those markets, so it remains in Kenya and is consumed by people here instead. I'm in a room out the back of a restaurant by the side of the road in flower farming region Timau. In fact, I think it's usually a bar, so it's been used for a slightly different purpose.

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[Josephine Casserly]

One of the doctors is set up on a table here with a big

[Kelvin Kubai]

file giving them batteries.

[Josephine Casserly]

How many people are there? A lot of people.

[Kelvin Kubai]

So there are ideally close to 50 people today.

[Josephine Casserly]

The two scientists took urine samples from people in the community here to test it for paraquat, and today they're giving them the results. I catch up with Professor Thaimuta here.

[Kelvin Kubai]

It seems like that the herbicides use are very, very concentrated with paraquat or people are concerned consuming more.

[Josephine Casserly]

They found paraquat in every urine sample they've tested here. There's no definitive research on what level of paraquat in the urine is potentially harmful. But what these results do indicate is that many in this community are being exposed to paraquat. When these results were presented to the court, a representative of the Kenyan regulator, the pest control board, questioned various aspects of the scientist methodology and stated that unless all the documentation and samples are externally audited, they can't be verified. Like a tingling feeling, as she said.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yeah, tingling on the feet and the hands.

[Josephine Casserly]

Professor Thaimuta says he's seeing people here with the beginning of neurological conditions that could degenerate.

[Kelvin Kubai]

I've also seen more desperate cases, and also most of them seem to have lost their sense of sensation because of the nervous. The nerves break down.

[Josephine Casserly]

They've lost sensation. What, in their legs or hands?

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yes, hands and their limbs.

[Josephine Casserly]

So how many people have you seen with that?

[Kelvin Kubai]

I've seen five.

Wow.

[Josephine Casserly]

Okay.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yes.

[Josephine Casserly]

Overall, the scientists assess 87 people. 14 have a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. And of these, all have paraquat found in their urine. This only indicates relatively recent exposure. It doesn't prove that this is the cause of their condition. The scientists also say that they've spoken to more people that they believe are displaying symptoms but who are not diagnosed. I want to speak to a neurologist who treats people with Parkinson's to find out if there's a way to quantify the number of people here who have the condition. We stop by a couple of government hospitals and call private clinics. But I keep being told that the neurologist isn't here today. Then I call another private clinic and get an appointment with Dr. Bundy.

[Kelvin Kubai]

No, I'm the one. I'm the neurologist in the hospital now.

[Josephine Casserly]

You're the only neurologist in the area,

[Kelvin Kubai]

actually in the Mount Kenya region.

[Josephine Casserly]

And how many people are there in this area that you cover?

[Kelvin Kubai]

If you add all those people, we are talking of not less than 7 million people.

[Josephine Casserly]

7 million people. So you're the one neurologist for about 7 million people?

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yes.

[Josephine Casserly]

For context, in the UK there's also a shortage of neurologists. Here there's one for every 90,000 people. I want to know if there's any estimate of the number of Parkinson's cases in Kenya.

[Kelvin Kubai]

In Kenya, no. We don't have a national registry. We only have individual registries. That's neurologists keeping their own records. Even no study on the prevalence.

[Josephine Casserly]

Without a national registry, there's no way of knowing how many people have Parkinson's or if it's affecting any groups in particular, such as farm workers. Last year, the Kenyan pesticide regulator banned 77 substances, but paraquat was not on the list. Back in London, I speak to Frederic Machiri, the CEO of the Kenyan regulator, the Pest Control Products Board, over the phone. I want to know why paraquat was not included.

[Kelvin Kubai]

When we reviewed the paraquat as an institution, we did not find any direct link between the purported Parkinson disease to paraquat. This is an allegation which must be proven by peer reviewed scientific evidence to support the cause.

[Josephine Casserly]

In the UK and the eu, paraquat is banned. In Australia, it's highly restricted to trained operators. In the us it has to be administered from a tractor. Whereas in Kenya, you know, anybody can go into a shop and buy paraquat, there's no restrictions around it.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Similarly here in Kenya we have our own regulations that guide the evaluation process. In Australia, they have not taken a similar decision to the us. They do according to the country needs.

[Josephine Casserly]

The people who are bringing these cases. Lawyers, health workers claim that there is widespread effect on people's health in these communities.

[Kelvin Kubai]

Yes, there is a lot of pesticide activism here in Kenya and anybody can say anything. And we have had people who do what we call targeted research with a predetermined outcome so that people can report what they wanted to report. So here in Kenya we have a regulatory mechanism in place which ensures that the pesticides we have allowed for use by our Kenyan stakeholders are safe both to humans and also the environment, if used according to Labour instructions.

[Josephine Casserly]

We've seen in our reporting that very few people, or maybe even no people, use, for example, the correct PPE on a regular basis. So given that lack of precautions that people seem to be taking, isn't it quite dangerous, quite a dangerous environment to be selling these sorts of hazardous chemicals into?

[Kelvin Kubai]

Like you have made observation, we've done a survey a quite a population, maybe like 50% of them could not be using the right PPEs, but they use some form of protective clothing. So while it is true that they don't use the appropriate protective clothing, the exposure to the same pesticides might not be as alarming as reported by pesticide activists here in this country.

[Josephine Casserly]

The case is still ongoing in the court in Nairobi. Kelvin and the other lawyers are now applying for some of the farm workers, including the man that we met with Parkinson's disease, to formally join the case as claimants. The challenge ahead of Kelvin and his team is to prove the impact of these chemicals in a context which in many ways is a vacuum of of information. Where people are unsure what pesticides they've used, where many health conditions go undiagnosed, where there's no record of the number of Parkinson's cases, and where there's limited uptake of ppe. Amidst all these unknowns, will they be able to build a case that will convince the court? This edition of Assignment was produced and presented by me, Josephine Casserly. Thank you for downloading this edition of the documentary podcast. It was presented by me, Josephine Casserly. It was produced by myself and Eugene Kaiga. The editor is Penny Murphy, our production coordinator is Gemma Ashman, and the program was mixed by Sue Mayo.

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