Kisumu, Kenya

City overview

Kisumu City, located in the western part of Kenya along the shores of Lake Victoria, is the country’s third-largest city and the largest urban area within Kisumu County, with approximately 510,408 residents. The city’s economy is driven by trade, farming, and fishing, with the trade sector constituting a key contributor to Kenya’s gross domestic product and local employment through investments and commerce. Over recent years, Kisumu has experienced growth, driven by increased trade and tourism, making it an emerging economic and cultural center. 

Kisumu's food systems challenges

Kisumu faces several challenges within its food system, primarily related to food and nutrition insecurity, food safety, and infrastructure deficiencies. The city’s food production is not diversified, and many residents struggle to access healthy and affordable food. Furthermore, there is a lack of adequate food storage and limited training on food safety measures across the supply chain. The food market remains largely informal, further complicating efforts to ensure food security.

Additionally, food waste poses a significant problem, particularly at the primary dumpsite outside the city. Moreover, the city suffers from inadequate resources to collect food waste from markets and transport it to said dumpsite. While urban agriculture holds potential for boosting local production, the adoption of new technologies is slow, and high agricultural input costs make sustainable farming practices challenging for many. Moreover, Kisumu faces the rising challenge of diet-related diseases, driven by overnutrition, alongside the ongoing issue of malnutrition, particularly childhood stunting.

Managing food waste is a challenge, but the dumpsite has been relocated away from the city. However, the city experiences challenges (inadequate resources) in collecting food waste from markets and transporting it to the dumpsite outside the city.

Kisumu’s food systems commitments and targets

Kisumu has made significant strides in improving food security, focusing on urban agriculture, kitchen gardening, and local food systems. A key element of these efforts is the Kisumu County Food System Strategy (2023-2027), which aligns with national policies and focuses on sustainable food production, value addition, and infrastructure development. Developed with development partners such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the strategy aims to improve market access, ICT integration, and food security, while also addressing issues such as climate change, food loss, waste management, and gender. Key objectives include strengthening governance, enhancing agricultural productivity, and improving food system resilience. While enacted at the county level, the relationship between the city board and the county government plays a crucial role in coordinating implementation, ensuring inclusive stakeholder engagement across Kisumu’s food system.

At the same time, the role of local hubs for small businesses, particularly in food systems, agro-processing, and distribution, cannot be overstated in Kisumu. Hubs like the WISEHub support the facilitation of incubation programs around food systems, markets, and innovative financing; access to funding, and sustainable business development for women and youth; and also networking opportunities between small businesses and policymakers locally.

Kisumu is transitioning from the Food Liaison Advisory Group (FLAG) to the Food Liaison Advisory Council (FLACK) to strengthen collaboration and governance in its food system. FLACK serves as a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together the private and public sectors, civil society organizations, academia, and relevant government departments to address key food system challenges. Its primary focus is on developing and implementing food policies and regulations that aim to create a more sustainable food system while promoting healthy food choices and lifestyles. These efforts include regulating the content of sugar, fat, salt, and preservatives in food; establishing standards for food labeling and advertising; and fostering awareness and training to support a healthy and sustainable urban food system. As part of this work,  FLACK conducts quarterly and annual reviews of the Kisumu County Food System Strategy, focusing on the progress of activities, processes, and outputs in the annual work plans. 

City led/ supported projects/ initiatives

Citations

100% Renewables Cities and Regions Roadmap (2024). Kisumu County. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.  https://renewablesroadmap.iclei.org/city/kisumu-county/#:~:text=The%20county%20hosts%20the%20third,are%20the%20major%20economic%20activities.

Opiyo, P., et al (2024, May 31). State of City Food System Report: Kisumu. AfriFOODlinks project, Cape Town, South Africa. https://afrifoodlinks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/State-of-City-Food-Systems-Report_Kisumu.pdf

County Government of Kisumu (2023). Kisumu County Food System Strategy: 2023 – 2027. Kenya Vision 2030. https://www.kisumu.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/KISUMU-COUNTY-FOOD-SYSTEM-STRATEGY-2023-2027.pdf

ASDSP (n.d.). Who We Are. Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives. https://asdsp.kilimo.go.ke/who-we-are/

WISE Hub Foundation (n.d.). Homepage.  https://wisehubfoundation.org/

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (2019). 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Reports Vol. II. https://www.knbs.or.ke/2019-kenya-population-and-housing-census-reports/

*Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union.