This paper shows how challenges linked to modern biotechnology – related knowledge management – contribute to the slow pace of biotechnology development in a developing country context. It draws lessons from Kenya’s experience in instituting regulatory structures to manage biotechnology research and development (R & D). Kenya stands among the few African countries to embrace modern biotechnology to enhance agricultural productivity and production. The study informing this paper relates to empirical analysis of the engagement of different stakeholders in the various regulatory activities leading to biotechnology development. This analysis exposes context-specific factors, like interest-driven role of knowledge actors, particularly the scientific communities that negatively impacted knowledge management and biotechnology governance.
