Protecting and Sharing Kenya's Traditional Indigenous Knowledge
- Mar 9, 2017
- 1 min read
Excessive degradation and over-exploitation of plant biodiversity in Kenya has led to depletion of some species and narrowed their genetic base. Apart from the conservation challenge, utilisation and sharing of benefits from plant genetic resources and traditional and associated knowledge among communities has also remained opaque despite constitutional guarantees.
The Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) is thus partnering with other institutions and county governments to assist communities in the country to preserve all aspects of traditional or indigenous knowledge in areas such as health, agriculture,and climate change mitigation.
This includes protection of genetic resources against undue exploitation and biopiracy.
Stanley Atsali, patent examiner at KIPI said the initiative is in line with the Kenya’s Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions Act of 2016.
“Part two of the Act stipulates that county governments shall collect information, document and register traditional knowledge within their jurisprudence for the purpose of recognition,” he said.
Atsali added that under the Act, Kenya’s 47 counties are also charged with protection of traditional knowledge from misuse and misappropriation, among other roles.
CIAT
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