Vegetables for Health and Prosperity: Mary Wamuyu’s Journey to Nourish Her Community
Mary Wamuyu Gathemia, a 41-year-old mother of two, runs a vibrant vegetable stall in Muthumi Village, Muguga Ward, Kabete Sub-County, Kiambu County. For years, Mary operated a small general shop selling household items and a few groceries. However, her shop struggled to break even, and she was on the verge of closing it to focus on being a housewife.
GAIN Kenya and UNICEF Partner to Improve Nutrition for the Most Vulnerable
GAIN Kenya is proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UNICEF Kenya to strengthen efforts to improve access to nutritious, safe, and sustainable foods for the most vulnerable. This strategic partnership underscores a shared commitment to addressing malnutrition and shaping healthier food environments for children, adolescents, and families in Kenya. The MOU was officially signed on 24th June 2025.
Food Systems Countdown Initiative Country Policy Brief Kenya
- 25/07/2025
Kenya’s engagement in food systems transformation reflects a strong policy commitment and growing political will to address persistent food and nutrition security challenges. This ambition is evident in progressive national frameworks such as the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy (2011), Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (2019–2029), Agricultural Soils Management Policy (2023), and the newly launched National Agroecology Strategy for Food System Transformation (2024–2033). These strategies are aligned with global and regional commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation, and the Malabo Declaration on comprehensive African agricultural development, signalling Kenya’s intention to lead in advancing climateresilient and equitable food systems.
Science in Action: Why Science Must Lead Kenya’s Food Safety Agenda
Every morning in Nairobi’s informal settlements, thousands of mothers head to the local market, searching for fresh vegetables to feed their families. For many, affordability is a top concern—but so is safety. Mary, a mother of three, recalls the time her youngest fell ill after a meal of sukuma wiki (kales). The vegetables had looked fine, but invisible risks like pesticide residues or poor handling were the real culprits. Across the City, 27-year-old Joseph joins dozens of young men at a construction site, hoping to earn enough to make it through the week. With limited pay and rising costs of living, lunch often comes from a nearby kibanda—a roadside kiosk offering fast, affordable meals. It’s filling and convenient, but rarely is the question asked: Is the food safe?
Do Consumers Consider Environmental Factors When Making Food Choices?
- 03/06/2025
The world is facing multiple interconnected crises, including climate change and escalating conflicts, which pose significant challenges to food systems. These issues highlight the need for systemic transformation to improve food security, nutrition, and environmental sustainability. In response, GAIN's Nourishing Food Pathways (NFP) programme aims to strengthen and support the implementation of food system pathways in 11 countries. One focus of NFP is exploring the intersection between food and environment, including climate change, to identify consumer actions that promote both nutrition and environmental sustainability in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Specifically, GAIN is interested in understanding if our Emotivate™ approach, which leverages emotions to motivate consumers to want better diets, can be extended to include emotions or values associated with environmental sustainability. Our initial hypothesis was that consumers felt emotional tensions related to environmental sustainability as a driver of food choices, which could be leveraged to develop an emotionally resonant campaign.
Kenya Fact Sheet-WHA Global Nutrition Targets
- 16/05/2025
WHA Global Nutrition Target 2012-2025 Achieve a 40% reduction in the number of children under-5 who are stunted Overweight Target 2012-2025 Ensure that there is no increase in childhood overweightHealthier diets.
FOR KENYA
GAIN’s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving the consumption of nutritious and safe food.
Healthier diets.
FOR KENYA
From fast food to fresh: How to shift Kenya's eating habits to nutritious, farm-to-fork foods
GAIN In Kenya- Overview
GAIN has been contributing to improving the nutritional status of Kenyans since 2010, with an initial focus on supporting the Government of Kenya to introduce the fortification of maize flour, wheat flour, and edible oils. Since then, we have diversified our programmatic work to integrate various efforts into a food system approach that links access and demand for nutritious safe food.
These efforts have culminated in increased policy influence in about 15 out of the 47 Counties in Kenya, development of the Food Fortification Strategic Plan 2018-2022 and the establishment of Food Safety Coordination Committee in Counties. Over 100 SMEs have received tailored technical assistance, innovation accelerator capital or emergency funding to promote supply of healthy and safe foods. In addition, GAIN Kenya supported about 200,000 farmers to grow nutrient-enriched beans to enhance their availability. Also, GAIN has supported the development of a prototype Food System Dashboard which is housed in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. Moreover, GAIN partnered with Kenya Tea Development Agency and partners to support about 100,000 smallholder farmers, workers and their families within the tea zones in Kericho County to access safe and nutritious diets.
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.
5%
Wasting
Too thin for their height
5%
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.
0
Beneficiaries reached (direct and indirect) across Kenya
0
People consuming safe foods (towards 7 M target)
0
Receiving nutrition-related national social protection services
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.
CAtalyzing Strengthened policy aCtion for heAlthy Diets and ResiliencE (CASCADE)
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
SUN Business Network
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).
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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.
Partners
Our work in Kenya is made possible through the strong collaboration and support of our valued partners across governments, development agencies, private sector, and civil society.
A Message from the Country Director
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.
Contact Us
Nairobi, Kenya
3rd Floor, 197 Lenana Place, Lenana Road
Box office: P.O. Box 13733 – 00800
Telephone +254 773 572 103
Ruth Okowa
Country Director, Kenya
Cultivating Diversity: Kenya’s Bold Vision for Resilient Food Systems
Imagine a Kenya where vibrant urban markets overflow with indigenous greens, youth in peri-urban areas lead Agri-tech startups, and rural cooperatives thrive as they steward regenerative farming methods. This future was at the heart of a recent co-creation workshop in Kenya, uniting 35 food system leaders from Ministry of Agriculture, Glocolearning, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), SUN CSA and GAIN to chart pathways toward food systems diversification. Diversification has been widely identified as a strategy with great potential to build better resilience, nutrition, and equity across Kenya.
Paving The Way To Combat Malnutrition: Kenya’s National Preparations For The 2025 Paris N4G Summit
- 09/04/2025
On March 27th and 28th, 2025, France hosted the Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G) in Paris. Launched in 2013 in London, N4G is a flagship international conference aimed at securing concrete political and financial commitments to combat malnutrition in all its forms. N4G brings together governments, international organisations, philanthropies, businesses, NGOs and other key stakeholders at a global and regional level to elevate nutrition as a key development agenda and accelerate progress against malnutrition.In preparation for the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in collaboration with The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, the Ministry of Health of Kenya, and other stakeholders, hosted several dialogues over the past months bringing together participants representing a diverse array of sectors, including civil society organizations, private sector (e.g. food production businesses), policy-makers and media. The primary objective was to mobilize and inspire Kenyan government representatives to review and develop Kenya's commitments for the 2025 N4G Summit while reflecting on the commitments it made as a nation during the 2021 Summit.