Coalition pushes zero-hunger agenda as Kenya braces for heavy rains

Story by Evans Mutinda,Violet Kerubo & Monyonge O’kebati

The Right to Food Coalition in Kenya has launched a campaign to push political parties and candidates to make the fight against hunger a central plank of their 2027 election manifestos, as concerns grow over the country’s preparedness for heavy rains and climate-related disruptions.

The coalition, led by the Institute for Social Accountability (TISA) and its partners, said it will unveil a comprehensive Food Manifesto in November outlining what achieving zero hunger should mean for different communities across the country.

Speaking during the Zero Hunger Run, TISA Executive Director Diana Gachengo said the campaign seeks to mobilise Kenyans to demand access to adequate, nutritious and sustainably produced food while holding leaders accountable for policies aimed at addressing hunger.

“We have been working to ensure that every Kenyan has the right to food of the right quantity, quality, sustainably, and of the right nutritional value,” Ms Gachengo said.

She said the coalition would use the manifesto to influence political party policies ahead of the 2027 General Election and ensure that the concerns of different communities are reflected in campaign pledges.

“We will work together as a coalition to ensure that we are able to influence the manifestos that all candidates will be putting forward,” she said.

The proposed manifesto will consider the different food and livelihood challenges facing communities, including pastoralists, fishermen and residents of informal settlements.

“What does zero hunger mean for pastoralists, for fishermen, for people in informal settlements? What does zero hunger mean?” Ms Gachengo posed, inviting Kenyans to contribute their views ahead of the manifesto’s launch.

The coalition also raised concern over the impact of food insecurity on children, saying nutritional deficiencies were affecting their growth and wellbeing. Ms Gachengo cited statistics from health institutions and the World Bank showing worrying trends in child nutrition, with inadequate access to protein and food contributing to poor outcomes.

She questioned why hunger remains a major challenge more than six decades after Kenya attained independence despite the country’s agricultural potential.

“Food is not something that we should be debating at this point when Kenya is over 60 years old,” she said. “Our granaries should be full, our ability to store, process food and produce it should be extremely good.”

The coalition is also calling for greater dignity in the distribution of food through relief programmes and social protection, particularly as Kenya prepares for possible weather-related disruptions. Ms Gachengo warned against the political exploitation of hungry populations through food donations and relief supplies and urged the media to avoid portraying vulnerable communities in ways that diminish their dignity.

“It is a run for dignity,” she said, adding that the campaign seeks to empower Kenyans to participate independently in political and development processes.

TISA Head of Programmes Alexander Riithi said the organisation was also using the Run for Zero Hunger campaign to sensitise the public on the right to food and the need for stronger preparedness ahead of anticipated heavy rains.

Riithi said about 20 million Kenyans go hungry every day, arguing that access to nutritious food remains a major challenge despite the constitutional recognition of the right to food.

He urged the national and county governments to move beyond allocating funds for disaster response and instead strengthen preparedness for flooding, landslides and other effects of heavy rainfall.

“We don’t need to wait for when the rains come down that then we start acting. We should start preparing,” Riithi said.

He warned that flooding could destroy crops and livestock, displace families and disrupt food supplies, particularly in areas prone to flooding along the Tana River, Garissa, the Nyando Basin and Budalangi.

He also called for greater preparedness in areas vulnerable to landslides, including Murang’a and Elgeyo Marakwet. Authorities, he said, should map high-risk areas and identify evacuation and resettlement sites before disasters occur.

Riithi said there had been encouraging signs of preparedness, citing efforts by Nairobi County to clear drainage systems and map areas where residents could be evacuated in case of flooding.

“Those are good signs, but we should see more of that, and it should happen across the counties,” he said.

He urged governments to undertake basic preventive measures such as clearing drainage systems, identifying vulnerable communities and preparing evacuation plans before the rains intensify. Farmers were also encouraged to prepare for planting and, where possible, harvest and store rainwater for use during future dry periods.

He stressed that the Zero Hunger Run was not intended to raise money but to create public awareness and mobilise action towards ensuring that all Kenyans have access to adequate and nutritious food.

“Our work in the livelihood sector is to ensure that every Kenyan has access to food that is of good nutritional value,” Riithi said.

As part of efforts to strengthen food security against climate-related shocks, farmers have also been urged to preserve indigenous seeds and embrace crop diversification.

Dominic Kimani, an official from Seed Savers Network, said the organisation was working with farmers across the country to strengthen community seed-saving practices and ensure households have access to planting material when needed.

Kimani said the disappearance of indigenous seed varieties had left farmers increasingly dependent on a limited number of commercial varieties, reducing crop diversity and exposing households to greater risks during climate shocks.

“Today, when you go to the market, you mostly find one type of maize. But traditionally, we had maize of different colours and varieties,” he said.

He said Seed Savers Network was encouraging farmers to establish community and household seed banks where they could preserve, reproduce and access their own seeds rather than relying entirely on external suppliers.

The approach, he said, would enable farmers to plant on time, particularly when rains begin unexpectedly.

Kimani also called for greater adoption of agro-ecological farming practices and crop diversification, saying reliance on a single crop could leave households vulnerable when weather conditions affect production.

“If there is a problem with one crop, the farmer and the family can still have food from other crops,” he said.

He said diversification could also help farmers cope with excessive rainfall because different crops respond differently to water levels.

“Some varieties can withstand a lot of water while others may be destroyed. That is why we are encouraging communities not to depend on only one type of crop,” Kimani said.

With forecasts pointing to potentially heavy rains, he urged farmers to use their knowledge of their farms to identify areas prone to waterlogging and prepare accordingly. Farmers should adopt measures that slow water runoff, prevent soil erosion and protect crops from excessive water.

Among the measures being promoted are agro-ecological techniques such as raised beds, which can help protect crops in waterlogged areas.

Kimani said prevention and recovery should form part of farmers’ preparedness plans, adding that conserving a wide range of seeds would ensure communities have planting material after a climate disaster.

He urged farmers to work with their neighbours to exchange and preserve different seed varieties.

Kimani also called for policy reforms and greater cooperation between the Government and farmers, particularly in reviewing regulations governing indigenous seeds. He said some existing regulations posed challenges for farmers who wanted to sell, exchange or share seeds within their communities.

“We would like systems that work in countries such as Tanzania and Uganda to be considered so that, as a country, we can move forward and give farmers the freedom and support they need,” he said.

He said agricultural extension officers had an important role to play in training farmers on seed production and preservation and urged the Government and other stakeholders to invest more in farmer training while giving communities greater space to participate in decisions affecting their food systems.

The coalition plans to expand the campaign next year by working with partners to mobilise resources for vulnerable communities, with the Zero Hunger Run serving as the beginning of a broader push for food security, climate preparedness and dignity.

“Let all Kenyans come together and deliver on freedom from hunger and say yes to dignity to people who can think independently and inform processes as a team,” Ms Gachengo said.