This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
Published on July 10, 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the challenges facing Kenya's food security.
With the country's focus shifting from containment to a public health approach, the government's Big Four Agenda, which prioritizes food security, has become increasingly relevant.
The agenda aims to enhance food security and nutrition by 2022, with a focus on increasing production, processing, value addition, and agribusiness through the agriculture value chain approach.
However, the sector is facing several challenges, including frequent droughts, high costs of domestic food production, rural-urban migration of young energetic population, low purchasing power, lack of incentives, and lack of diversified agricultural activities.
Despite the government's efforts to address these challenges, including the allocation of several billions to enhance food security and nutrition, the sector remains disjointed and lacks an environment that allows for maximum productivity.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has written off debts owed by the tea, coffee, and sugar industries and farmers as a way to jump-start the sectors, but more needs to be done to address the underlying issues.
As the country navigates the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential to prioritize food security and take a holistic approach to address the sector's challenges.
