Thousands of families in Kisumu still struggle to afford healthy meals despite the county’s fertile farmland and access to fish from Lake Victoria.
The county government now hopes to change that through a new financing plan that will direct more money towards agriculture, nutrition and climate-smart food production while ensuring existing funds are spent where they have the greatest impact.
The plan will help the county track how much money goes into food-related programmes, identify sectors receiving too little funding and guide future investments towards projects that improve food production, support farmers and make nutritious food more affordable.
The initiative, supported by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, was launched during the Financing Agri-Food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) 2026 summit.
According to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kisumu’s food poverty rate stands at 31.7 per cent, meaning nearly one in three residents cannot consistently afford enough food to meet their nutritional needs.
The data also shows that nine per cent of children under five in the county are stunted, a sign of long-term undernutrition that can permanently affect physical growth and brain development. Three per cent suffer from wasting while four per cent are underweight.
GAIN estimates that 18.7 million Kenyans were undernourished in 2025, even as the country continues to face the triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and rising cases of overweight and diet-related non-communicable diseases.
Speaking during the launch, Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathew Owili said the county had already laid the foundation through its Food Systems Strategy (2023-2027).
The strategy seeks to build an innovative and sustainable food system that guarantees equitable access to healthy food while promoting environmental sustainability and economic growth.
He said the county has also established governance structures, including the Food Liaison Advisory Council of Kisumu (FLACK) and a multi-sectoral nutrition governance framework, to coordinate food and nutrition programmes across sectors.
“The ultimate goal is to ensure every shilling invested translates into healthier diets, improved food security, stronger livelihoods for farmers and greater resilience against climate change,” Owili said.
A new food systems financing snalysis, however, found that investment in food systems has been declining despite growing demand for nutritious food.
County spending fell from Sh1.6 billion in the 2021/22 financial year to Sh1.47 billion in 2022/23 before dropping further to Sh1.07 billion in 2023/24.
More than 85 per cent of food systems financing came from county government resources, while donor funding also declined sharply after peaking at Sh262 million in 2022/23.
Most of the money was spent on infrastructure, agricultural development and nutrition services.
Climate change adaptation and natural resource management received the least funding despite rising droughts and floods that continue to threaten food production.
GAIN Kenya Country Director Ruth Okowa said improving food systems requires more than simply increasing budgets.
Counties, she said, must understand where money is going and whether investments are delivering healthier diets and stronger livelihoods.
She noted that climate shocks continue to undermine rain-fed agriculture, which supports about 95 per cent of Kenyan farmers, while rapid population growth and rising food prices are putting additional pressure on already fragile food systems.
“Every investment in sustainable food systems generates returns beyond agriculture by improving health, creating jobs, strengthening climate resilience and supporting economic growth,” she said.
Okowa said the new county-led food systems financial tracking and investment project will help counties monitor food-related spending, improve planning, strengthen coordination between departments and identify areas that need additional funding.
Under the model, counties will regularly track how much money goes into agriculture, nutrition, health and climate-related food programmes and use that information to shape future budgets and attract support from development partners and private investors.
“Kisumu was selected as the pilot county because of its existing food systems strategy, strong multi-sector partnerships and commitment to improving food systems governance,” she said.
The project is expected to support implementation of Kenya’s National Agrifood Systems Investment Plan (2026-2030) while helping counties attract more sustainable investments into agriculture, nutrition and climate-smart food systems.
