‘Mama Kitchen Garden’ program to boost BETAs food security pillar
This was revealed by the First Lady at Koibatek Agricultural Training Centre in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County, during the initiative’s national rollout.
“The President is happy that this initiative will support food security, which is the first pillar in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA),” said Mrs. Ruto.
Ruto noted that the program seeks to combine indigenous knowledge that has been practiced for ages with modern farming processes to boost production in a participatory manner with children in schools.
“The initiative promises hope, action, and transformation for families and communities and seeks to see every child in Kenya well fed,” she added.
The first lady said the mission of the program was to give mothers the power to increase the household vegetable intake levels by empowering Kenyan women to establish a thriving kitchen garden for their families.
“As mothers walk back home from the farms or work, we expect to see something in their hands that ensures that they will enjoy a meal, we have a vision that this program will be expanded to all 47 counties to make the promise a reality,” she added.
Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Baraza Mulongo termed the event a joyful, transformative day in the country, saying the powerful initiative is at the intersection of food security, climate action, and education.
“This is not only timely but also a deeply impactful, multifaceted concept, which will uplift our ministry’s work and advance the country’s environmental agenda,” said Baraza.
Baraza added that the program was aligned to national aspiration and international commitment, supported SDG 1 and 2, ending poverty and zero hunger as well as a clear manifestation of the BETA agenda.
“The choice of Baringo as the place to host the event demonstrates a deep understanding of the climate challenges faced by the vulnerable communities,” she added.
She revealed that the conservation arm of the initiative aims to contribute over 500 million trees to the national 15 billion trees growing campaign by 2032.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Kiprono Rono reiterated the Ministry of Agriculture’s support for the program, which started small but is now big national program.
“The program under agriculture on food and nutrition security is at the centre in ensuring that the BETA goals are achieved, and it will go a long way in solving the problem of food and nutrition security in the country. We will work hard to ensure it sets a global example,” said the PS
Ronoh said the ministry of agriculture will provide different models and implementation approaches so as to make it easy for the program to be implemented by mothers at home as well as ease monitoring and evaluation of the program.
“We will provide basic infrastructures, farm inputs to farmers and financing models, as well as water infrastructures and aggregation centres and markets for the program,” he promised
The PS added that they have put in place steps and a way forward to enroll over 2 million kitchen gardens across the country in the next five years.
The program was piloted for eight months in state houses and schools around Nairobi with the support of state-relevant departments and donors.
During the event, the First Lady donated sanitation equipment to schools in Koibatek Sub-County.
