Experts push for food fortification as Kenya’s nutrition crisis deepens
Dubbed Millers for Nutrition, an international coalition advocating for food fortification, is urging immediate action to address these systemic gaps.
As Kenya grapples with rising food insecurity and a deepening malnutrition crisis, a coalition of food and nutrition stakeholders is sounding an alarm over stalled policy reforms and fragmented implementation that continue to jeopardise public health.
Millers for Nutrition, an international coalition advocating for food fortification, is urging immediate action to address these systemic gaps.
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At the heart of the union’s call to action is the delayed passage of the Food and Feed Safety Coordination Bill, 2023, currently pending in the Senate.
Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, the Bill seeks to establish a centralised national framework for food safety, including a dedicated Office of the Food and Feed Safety Controller and coordination mechanisms at the county level.
The proposed law is also designed to clarify the roles of national and county governments in space, strengthen enforcement, and align food safety systems with global best practices.
These, with an ultimate goal of protecting public health, and at the same time, improve trade opportunities for Kenyan agricultural products.
Ideally, the proposed law would significantly strengthen the coalition’s efforts to advance the implementation of Kenya’s Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) initiative.
Food fortification
Food fortification refers to the process of deliberately adding essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, iodine, vitamin A, and zinc, to commonly consumed foods to improve their nutritional value.
It’s a proven public health strategy used to prevent micronutrient deficiencies in the general population, especially in vulnerable groups, without requiring changes in eating habits.
Millers for Nutrition notes that the Kenyan government has shown commendable leadership by mandating the fortification of wheat flour, maize flour, and edible oils and fats in building on the country’s earlier success in eliminating iodine deficiency through salt iodisation.
However, in light of the aforementioned Bill that still lies large, the coalition reckons that implementation of such policies geared towards eradicating hunger and malnutrition remains inconsistent.
Additionally, the union points to another major hurdle in the fight against malnutrition: a persistent disconnect between millers and farmers.
“Rift between Kenyan millers and farmers spans multiple agricultural sectors,” it says.
“In sugarcane, growers have accused millers of economic sabotage, especially after millers threatened shutdowns when directed by the court to increase the price paid per tonne from Sh5,100 to Sh5,900, asserting that millers are manipulating pricing while refusing to transparently disclose production costs.”
In wheat, farmers in regions like Narok and the Rift Valley have been left with unsold stock amid allegations that millers prioritised cheaper imports over local produce, even as miller associations insist they purchased all available local wheat at premium prices but are constrained by structural challenges such as low yields, high production costs, and import bottlenecks, it adds in part.
Consequently, the coalition will be hosting an international nutrition forum in Nairobi on September 16 to spotlight fortification as a game-changer in the fight against malnutrition.
The organisers also plan to recognise millers who exceed fortification benchmarks, promote collaboration between the public and private sectors, and raise consumer confidence in fortified products.
The event will also serve as a platform to showcase innovations, including digital tools and data systems that improve compliance and impact across the fortification value chain.
Stark food security situation
Recent reports have revealed a grim picture of the country’s food security situation in the recent past.
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, nearly 26 per cent of children under five in the country are stunted.
Meanwhile, ReliefWeb’s latest report warns of worsening nutrition outcomes in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands.
Although acute malnutrition has stabilised in some regions, the report says 11 surveyed ASALs remain in IPC AMN Phase 4 (Critical), with over 741,000 children under five and 109,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women in need of urgent treatment between now and March 2026.
Contributing factors include limited access to healthcare, poor sanitation, reduced humanitarian funding, and persistent food gaps.
During the projection period (October 2025 to January 2026), the food security situation is expected to deteriorate, particularly during the short rains season (October–December 2025).
An estimated 2.1 million people are likely to face high levels of acute food insecurity (Phase 3 or above).
“The deterioration is mainly driven by forecasted below-average rainfall, which is expected to further affect staple food prices, alongside conflicts over resource management and increased human-wildlife interactions,” noted Reliefweb in the report.
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