Kenya

Healthier diets.

FOR KENYA

GAIN’s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving the consumption of nutritious and safe food.

From fast food to fresh: How to shift Kenya's eating habits to nutritious, farm-to-fork foods

Consume diverse vegetables for improved nutrition

Better nutrition. For Kenya.

The Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) Kenya Study (2019) estimated a loss of Kenya Shillings 373.9 billion (USD 3.1 billion) equivalent to 6.9 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2014 due to child undernutrition. Childhood malnutrition results in reduced productivity, high costs of health-related treatment of malnutrition, and high education costs due to class repetition and absenteeism.

Kenya Faces the Triple Burden of Malnutrition

1 UNDERNUTRITION

Children bear the brunt of malnutrition, which negatively impacts their future productivity.

18%

Stunting

Low height for age.

Wasting

Too thin for their height

Underweight

Low weight for their age

2 MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

Zinc, vitamin A, iron, and iodine are the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies.

70%

National zinc deficiency prevalence. 81.6% of preschool children under 5 years and 67.9% of pregnant women

41.6%

of women of reproductive age, aged 15 to 49 years have anaemia, and 69% of children suffer from iron deficiency

22%

children (6 -23 months) consume a minimum acceptable diet

3 OVERNUTRITION

Overweight and obesity and associated diet-related non- communicable diseases..

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES related to diet continue to rise.

1 in 4 adults is overweight and/or obese

Only 5.2% of Kenyan adults consume the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables per day

GAIN's Contribution

GAIN’s Strategy aims to transform food systems to make healthier diets from sustainable food systems accessible to all people and especially those whose are most vulnerable to shocks. By 2027, we aim to improve the access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally enhanced staple foods, improve the access of 25 million people to healthier diets, and support positive food system change in 10 countries.

Kenya is one of the countries impacted by malnutrition.GAIN has been improving nutrition in Kenya since 2010, initially supporting the Government of Kenya in fortifying staple foods. Over time, GAIN has expanded its approach to strengthen food systems by enhancing access to and demand for nutritious, safe food. Through partnerships with governments, businesses, and civil society, GAIN works to sustainably improve food availability and consumption, especially for vulnerable populations. By supporting national and county governments with expertise in nutrition and policy development, GAIN plays a key role in shaping food systems governance and driving transformation.

Impact

GAIN Kenya has achieved remarkable progress in enhancing nutrition and health across the nation.

Initiatives to improve Nutritional Quality

Years of Impact Improving Health and Nutrition

Children reached with nutrition programs

Impact Stories

Our Strategy in Kenya

GAIN’s strategy aims to transform food systems, making healthier diets accessible to all, especially the vulnerable.

Some of the key milestones in Kenya include:

Influencing policy for increased access to safe and nutritious diets in about 15 out of the 47 Counties in Kenya
Strengthening large scale food fortification efforts in Kenya and the establishment of Food
Safety Coordination Committees in four Counties (Mombasa, Nakuru, Nairobi and Kiambu).
Supported about 150 businesses with tailored technical assistance and grants
Supporting more than 200,000 farmers to grow biofortified beans
Kiambu and Machakos County city level dashboards developed to inform decision making on food and nutrition security.
More than 100,000 smallholder farmers, workers and their families within the tea zones in Kericho County supported to access safe and nutritious diets.

Vision for 2027

1.5 Billion people with access to nutritionally enhanced staple foods.

7Million Kenyans with access to healthier diets.

Positive food system changes in 10/47 Counties.

GAIN Kenya Business Plan

Head of Office – GAIN Kenya

At GAIN Kenya, we’re dedicated to improving nutrition and food systems to ensure that every Kenyan has access to safe, nutritious food. Explore our work and join us in creating healthier diets for all.

Ruth Okowa

Country Director, Kenya

Programmes and Partnerships

CAtalyzing Strengthened policy aCtion for heAlthy Diets and ResiliencE (CASCADE)

CASCADE is a Dutch-funded project whose goal is to improve food security and contribute to the reduction of malnutrition of at least 5 million women of reproductive age and children under five in Benin, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Mozambique.

Vegetables for All

Vegetables for All is a Dutch Government-funded five-year project that aims to improve dietary diversity for 1.1 million urban and peri-urban Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) consumers by increasing consumption of vegetables in alignment with global guidelines

Nutrition in ASALs Within Integrated Resilient Institutions (Nawiri)

Nutrition in ASALs Within Integrated Resilient Institutions (Nawiri), is a USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) five-year research and development program that is being implemented in the arid and semi-arid counties of Isiolo and Marsabit in Kenya.

SUN Business Network (SBN)

Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network (SBN) is the world’s leading private sector focused nutrition initiative. SBN is one of the six Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) networks (Government Network, UN Network, Academia and Research Network, Civil Society, and Donor Network).

All GAIN KE Programmes and Partnerships

Join the Conversation- GAIN Kenya ON X

Interview Cruncher

Join us as we mark us mark International Women's Day celebrating the achievements of women around the world. We speak to some incredible female leaders around the world striving to #EmbraceEquity.

BITE the talk- a GAIN podcast series

In this podcast series powered by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition or GAIN, we will encounter a myriad of intersecting issues, themes, and solutions. We will hear from regular folks like farmers and mothers around the world trying to put nutritious food on the table for their families. We will also talk with food systems leaders, social entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and people like you.

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