The Kenya government has underscored the central role of nutrition in achieving Vision 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union Agenda 2063, stressing that proper nutrition is essential for health, productivity and economic growth.
This was disclosed via the Kenya Ministry of Health social media page on Friday.
Speaking during a Media Roundtable Breakfast on Nutrition Advocacy in Nairobi, Veronica Kirogo, Head of the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Ministry of Health, said that nutrition must be fully embedded in the country’s development plans.
The meeting, organised in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), brought together senior editors and media champions to strengthen advocacy and public awareness.
Kenya continues to grapple with a triple burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and increasing obesity.
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National surveys show improvements over the past two decades, with stunting among children falling from 36% in 2003 to 18% in 2022, while underweight cases dropped from 19% to 10%.
Wasting reduced from 7.5% to 4%, and childhood overweight declined from 6% to 3%.
Despite these gains, overweight and obesity are rising among adults, particularly women. Nearly half of women aged 20–49 are overweight compared to 15% of men, heightening the risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases.
Dietary habits remain a concern, with only 5% of adults consuming the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables, while just under half of women achieve minimum dietary diversity. Exclusive breastfeeding rates have also slipped to 60%.
The Ministry of Health estimates that malnutrition costs the country about KSh 373.9 billion annually in lost productivity and health expenses.
Interventions such as the national school meals programme, which reaches over 2.6 million learners daily, and nutrition-sensitive cash transfers benefiting 48,000 households, are among measures being implemented to reduce the burden.
Kirogo and Ruth Okowa, GAIN Kenya Country Director, urged the media to play an active role in countering misinformation, highlighting success stories, identifying policy gaps and ensuring that nutrition remains a national priority.
They emphasised that investing in better nutrition yields significant returns, with every dollar spent generating up to 22 dollars through improved productivity and reduced health costs.
