Accusations Against Foreign Companies Over Enzyme Exports from Lake Bogoria

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Foreign companies are facing allegations of illegally exporting enzymes from Lake Bogoria in Baringo County. Members of the Endorois minority community, who reside near the lake, claim they were not consulted prior to the research activities conducted by these companies.
Wilson Kipkazi, an Endorois leader, expressed disappointment, stating, “We learned through the media that global corporations had profited significantly from genetic materials harvested from Lake Bogoria. This has left our community feeling marginalized.”
He emphasized that while foreign entities benefit from the lake, locals remain impoverished. Historical context reveals that in 1992, a British researcher illegally collected microorganisms from the lake and sold them to firms in the Netherlands and the United States. The Kenyan government subsequently pursued legal action against these corporations for not sharing the financial benefits with the country.
In 2004, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) sought a portion of the substantial profits derived from a popular detergent made in the United States, which contained ingredients unlawfully extracted from the lake. Julius Kipng’etich, then director of KWS, assembled a task force to investigate claims that British firms producing enzymes had generated over Sh800 billion without reinvesting in Kenya.
The Endorois community has long alleged that their lake, renowned for its hot springs and geysers, has been exploited since the 1970s. They believe that corrupt local officials have colluded with foreign companies to transfer these valuable enzymes without due process.
Now, the community is urging Baringo County to disclose all funds received from enzyme royalties. Researchers have highlighted the unique diversity of bacteria and microorganisms in Lake Bogoria, which are foundational to the lucrative global biotech industry.
The Endorois people, who have cared for Lake Bogoria for centuries, hold deep spiritual and cultural ties to this water body. However, they have recently come to understand the economic potential it represents.
In a landmark decision in 2010, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights condemned the Kenyan government’s eviction of the Endorois from their ancestral lands near the lake, ruling that it violated their human rights. The Commission mandated the government to compensate the Endorois and facilitate their return to their original lands.