Theophilus Mwendwa Mutui

Theophilus Mwendwa Mutui is the Managing Director of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), an agency responsible for regulating the quality and safety of seeds and plant varieties in Kenya. He has recently been in the news for opposing the Seeds and Plant Varieties Amendment Bill of 2025, which seeks to transfer some of KEPHIS's regulatory powers to the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). Prof. Mutui argues that this proposed change could undermine the agency's role in ensuring seed quality and could negatively impact Kenyan farmers' access to international markets. He has also raised concerns about the potential for regulatory conflicts and the implications of a shortened certification period for seed testing.