By Bernard Muthaka

Like virtually all Kenyans at this time, Dr James Gethi is disappointed that three seasons in a row have been very dry in almost all maize growing areas.

However, the irony is that most of his crop is doing very well, despite being grown in the arid plains of Emali where he and other scientists are working with various maize seeds to come up with a variety that can withstand the devastating drought that has consigned the country to long periods of hunger.

Kiboko is a dry area where field research led by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) are seeking to develop drought-tolerant maize varieties through both conventional breeding and genetic engineering.

It is the site that has been chosen for the country’s very first confined field trials for drought tolerant genetically enhanced maize, under the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (Wema) project.

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