Kenya’s Mung Bean Legislation Debate Underscores Farmers’ Vulnerability

Kitui, Kenya — Kenyan farmers have faced a turbulent year, caught between legislative changes and a devastating scandal. While the country’s Mung Bean Bill, aiming to regulate the lucrative mung bean industry, has moved to mediation, farmers are battling the fallout from the widespread distribution of counterfeit fertilizers that have jeopardized their crop yields and livelihoods.

The Mung Bean Bill is a response to the crop’s rising prominence in Kenya. Known locally as “Ndengu,” mung beans…