Nourishing Spaces Project

Policy Brief

Urban Food Security

in Kisumu in light of
COVID19
Policy Brief #1 | July 2020

Photo 1: Informal food retailers in Kisumu streets: Hundreds are now out of work due to COVID19 pandemic. (Photo
courtesy of CUP)

This policy brief is informed by the findings S y s t e m s G o v e r n a n c e f o r N o n -

of two research projects done in Kisumu Communicable Diseases PrevenKon in
over the last four years: 1) the ESRC/DfID- Africa’ (Branded Nourishing Spaces). The
funded ‘Governing Food Systems to two projects generated data on urban food
Alleviate Poverty in Secondary CiKes in security and food systems governance.
Africa’ (Branded Consuming Urban Poverty); COVID19 pandemic has shone a spotlight
and 2) the IDRC-funded ‘Urban Food on some of the issues raised by the four
years of food systems research in Kisumu, the food they consume. A regular cash
including pre-exisKng high food insecurity, income is therefore central to household
disrupted food system, vulnerability due to food security. The economic downturn in
inadequate infrastructure, and increasing the city occasioned by COVID19 has
NCDs co-morbidiKes. diminished cash income for households - in
which the CUP survey established that 39%
of members were either working or
Pre-exis(ng high levels of food insecurity
pensioners supporKng the balance of the
Kisumu city experiences high levels of food populaKon (62%) who were children,
insecurity – as do most ciKes in sub Saharan students, unemployed, home keepers, or
Africa. The Consuming Urban Poverty medically unfit or disabled. With more
project’s city-wide household survey found people out of work due to COVID19, more
that 71.3% of households were either residents have been pushed to food
moderately or severely food insecure, with insecurity.
nutriKonally deficient diets. Despite these
high levels of food insecurity, policymakers
conKnue to view the food and nutriKon Disrup(on of food supply chains
insecurity as a predominantly rural
The CUP survey established that that many
challenge.
of the key food stuffs in the Kisumu urban
Less than 15% of the sampled households diet were sourced from well beyond Kisumu
produced any of their own food. Kisumu’s County boundaries. COVID19 has disrupted
residents therefore buy the vast majority of global and local food supply chains, with
negaKve impacts on food security. The Informal food retail is also a source of
situaKon in Kisumu has been worsened by employment for a large number of people,
floods displacing hundreds of households parKcularly women, who own and operate
and destroying farmlands in the hinterland. more than 70 per cent of food retail outlets
The recent floods have also damaged the in Kisumu (Photo 1). A large proporKon of
road network, further hindering food these traders is unable to sell due to parKal
delivery to the city. Closure of markets, for lockdown condiKons.
example Kibuye market, which is the largest
wholesale market in the city, and evicKon of
informal food retailers from the roadsides Vulnerability of the urban poor to NCDs
due to social distancing rules has further and COVID19
disrupted food supply in the city. Market
In Kisumu, the urban poor living in informal
women who used to receive food early in
seilements of Manyaia, Nyalenda,
the morning for sale in residenKal areas
Obunga, and Bandani are at greater risk of
incur further costs in gefng food from the
infecKon by COVID19 than those in
temporary market created outside the
wealthier areas. Physical distancing and
stadium to reduce congesKon at Kibuye.
personal hygiene pracKces being advocated
The parKal lockdown (curfew) imposed to for are almost impossible in these
contain the spread of COVID19 has also neighbourhoods. For example, there is a
affected food distribuKon and access in high risk of exposure to the virus in
Kisumu. The government allowed food communal water points and toilets. The
delivery trucks to conKnue operaKng during poor would be severely affected as the
curfew hours. This has enabled formal food environments in which they live predispose
transporters to conKnue delivering food to them to other infecKous diseases; and to
supermarkets normally. However, informal non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like
transporters who deliver food to the city hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
have been severely affected by the curfew. Nourishing Spaces project work in Bandani
This bias is also manifested in the opening in 2019 found that prevalence of NCDs is
hours, as supermarkets are classified as growing among the urban poor. The
essenKal services and are allowed to combinaKon of high risk living condiKons
operate during curfew hours. Informal food with comorbidiKes increases both the risk
retailers and corner shops in residenKal of transmission and of severity of COVID19
areas are not classified as essenKal services, symptoms or even mortality.
yet majority of residents buy food from
these sources. In the Consuming Urban
Pove r t y s u r vey, t h re e q u a r te rs o f Policy sugges(ons
households bought less than half their food
at supermarkets. In the short term, there is urgent need to
provide food to vulnerable households. The
naKonal government, non-governmental
Informal traders and food security organisaKons and private companies have
Informal food retailers provide food to done this through various iniKaKves.
more than 75 per cent of households on a However, the scale of need in a city in
day to day basis (Figure 1). The role of which livelihoods of the majority are Ked to
informal food retailers is key in food the informal sector is greater than the scale
provisioning for the poor. They provide food of these intervenKons. The county
on credit and sell food in smaller measures government should proacKvely support
affordable to low-paid wage earners. informal sector traders by providing a safe
trading environment for themselves and disrupKon in the supply chain. This was
their customers. witnessed during the 2007/ 2008 post
elecKon violence, the disputed 2017
In the long term, Kisumu city needs a food
elecKons and the current COVID19
security strategy that includes building
pandemic. Part of the strategy should be to
resilience. It is laudable that Kisumu City
link producKon sources and consumpKon;
has acknowledged ‘improving the urban
and provide urban infrastructure and
food system’ as a key area of focus in the
services that support informal food retailers
Local Physical and Land Use Development
to comply with food safety and hygiene
Plan (LPLUDP) currently being developed to
regulaKons. The County government should
guide the growth of the city for the next
prioriKse provision of fresh produce
fijeen years. This should bring food and
markets with adequate food preservaKon
nutriKon security to the core of urban
faciliKes and integrate food retail sites and
planning.
transport nodes. These measures will not
Over-reliance on food imports from other only improve physical access to food but
regions of Kenya and neighbouring also create job opportuniKes in the food
countries leaves Kisumu city vulnerable to retail sector further enhancing food and
food insecurity should there be any nutriKon security.

_______________________________________________________________________
KISUMU LOCAL INTERACTION PLATFORM (KLIP), KISUMU, KENYA
Contact:

Paul OKeno Opiyo

Popiyo2002@yahoo.com

Prof Stephen Gaya Agong

sgagong@jooust.ac.ke

Series Editor:
Assoc. Prof. Jane Baiersby, African Centre for CiKes, University of Cape Town

This Policy Brief is a co-publicaKon of the IDRC-funded Nourishing Spaces Project and the ESRC/
DfID-funded Consuming Urban Poverty Project.