The government of Kenya has announced plans to develop kitchen gardens in Nakuru County. County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture Dr Immaculate Maina made the announcement and said the county has identified 11,460 vulnerable families that will be facilitated to set up kitchen gardens within the devolved unit in an effort to avert a food crisis following adverse effects of Covid-19 pandemic.
The initiative dubbed ‘one million kitchen garden projects’ will have beneficiaries who will receive a startup kit of a solar drier, a 50-litre tank and a shade net. Each household will also get 10 grams seeds of various vegetables including amaranthus (Terere), kales (Sukuma Wiki), black nightshade, (managu) cowpeas (Kunde) and spinach.
“The focus is not only to make food available, but also improve the nutritional and safety levels of that food: Kitchen gardens are the easiest ways households can ensure inexpensive, regular and handy supply of fresh vegetables, herbs, spices, other plants, eggs and meat,” Dr Maina stated.
The initiative being implemented by the National Government in partnership with devolved units, Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project, National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) and the Small-Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project targets to establish one million gardens in 21 selected Counties.
Phase II target
In a speech delivered on her behalf by County Agrinutrition Officer Ms Anne Odhiambo during the inauguration of a capacity building training workshop for agricultural and extension officers who will train the beneficiaries on the establishment of kitchen gardens and preservation of the vegetables, Dr Maina revealed that forty-eight 4K clubs and 2 young farmers’ associations from the county will also be incorporated in the initiative.
She noted that most vegetables consumed by households in Kenya are grown along polluted rivers, sewerage treatment plants and streams using wastewater which contains heavy metals and other toxic chemicals.
“Developing your own kitchen garden assures your family of a highly nutritious and safe food that is not toxic to your body and cannot cause cancer or other lifestyle diseases,” said the CEC.
According to records from the Ministry of Agriculture under Phase I, some 19,750 households were supported with grants from the National Agriculture Rural Inclusive Growth Project, 15,000 through Smallholder Irrigation and Value Addition Project and another 171,992 through Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Project.
Phase II targeted 230,000 households in 21 counties while the current phase projected to cover a similar number is ongoing. To showcase technologies available for the establishment of a kitchen garden, Maina indicated that the Ministry of Agriculture has set up a demonstration and learning site at the ministry headquarters at Kilimo House. Currently, the learning site has 12 kitchen garden technologies that households can choose from.
