Mr President, implement Food Security Bill 2014
Dear Mr President,
After the speech you delivered at the United Nation General Assembly and that at your inauguration, there is no doubt about your commitment to achieve sustainable food security.
To affirm your commitment, I urge you to urgently operationalise the Food Security Bill of 2014.
The Bill was introduced to give effect to Article 43 (1) (c) of the Constitution that obligates the government to ensure Kenyans are free from hunger and have adequate food of acceptable quality.
To achieve food security, section 3 (i) of the bill calls for food to be treated as a national strategic resource.
Mr. President, you are aware that Kenya has instituted various strategies, policies and programmes to end hunger. But as you have pointed out, over 3.1 million Kenyans are at risk of food insecurity. The problem must be the lack of a holistic approach to addressing issues related to agri-food sector development.
The Food Security Bill stipulates a number of interventions. When implemented, it would provide for a cross-sectoral networking platform consisting of ministries, agencies and actors concerned with the production, storage and sale of food.
Section (11) of the Bill calls for the establishment of Food Security Authority, this entity will enable you to realise considerable transformation in the agri-food sector. The Authority, which among other functions is expected to appraise and review the levels of access to food in terms of quality and quantity, will enable the country to avoid food shortages.
Given that agriculture is a devolved function, Section (32) of the Food Security Act calls for establishment of the County Food Security Committee. This committee will implement the food security policy and programmes in the county and collaborate with the Authority to ensure a coordinated approach in facilitating access of food. This will ensure no part of the country is left behind. Further, the county committees serve as an early warning mechanism on impending food shortages in counties while advising on mitigation measures.
The harmonious working relationship between the Authority and county committees would make it possible to cluster counties according to their comparative advantage. This will enable targeted investment in the agri-food sector.
Mr. President, I believe if such elaborate mechanisms existed, reports of deaths associated with drought and hunger would be a thing of the past.
The Food Security Fund as espoused in section 38 (2) of the Food Security Bill should also be established. As you consider actualising your commitment to establish the Hustler Fund, I urge the Executive and the National Assembly to allocate resources to the fund.
Research and innovation will be important in solving social and economic challenges occasioned by agri-food sector challenges. Given that part of the responsibility of the Food Security Authority is to undertake research, I believe the food security fund will make a significant impact in its operations.
Mr. President, on your shoulders lies the heavy burden of ensuring Kenya is food secure. The bold step required is harmonisation of efforts across sectors and among all actors.
Shuttling between the actors and sectors will require diplomatic engagement to ensure there is convergence of thought on the importance of food security. It is this point of view that compels me to urge you to ensure that the Food Security Authority is under your watch. Mr. President, the Authority should give, if necessary, daily briefings – just like intelligence reports – on the steps and progress on the state of food security. I believe this is one of the best ways of breaking chains of food insecurity and opening the vast opportunities of social economic development.
—The writer is an international food analyst
