A food processor at work in a private firm within Nairobi County on September 10, 2025.Outstanding fortification companies will be rewarded during the Kenya Micronutrient Fortification Index (KMFI) 2025 Awards scheduled for September 16, Millers for Nutrition Initiative program director Rizwan Yusufali has announced.
Yusufali said the ceremony with the theme ‘Unlocking Sustainable Fortification: Innovation, Performance and Ecosystem’ is intended to celebrate Kenya’s outstanding achievements in large-scale food fortification.
“The event is meant to celebrate Kenya's outstanding achievements in large-scale food fortification. It will also honour food processing companies that have demonstrated excellence in both compliance and impact, highlighting the crucial role of fortification within the country’s food system,” Yusufali exclusively told the Star on Wednesday.
He said the award ceremony would equally spotlight the actors’ commitment to fortifying staple foods and improving public health through improving nutrition in Kenya.
The awards ceremony will have interactive segments that include keynote speeches, data presentations, and a panel discussion. The setup will highlight the sector’s achievements while creating space for critical reflection and forward-looking strategies.
“This event seeks to foster progress by accelerating private sector investment in KMFI and ensuring the growth of private sector participation, which is visible for both the consumers and regulatory bodies,” Yusufali stated.
He said large-scale food fortification (LSFF) is globally recognised as one of the most effective and cost-efficient strategies to improve nutrition at scale.
Yusufali said the Kenyan government has shown commendable leadership by mandating the fortification of wheat flour, maize flour, and edible oils and fats in building on the country’s earlier success in eliminating iodine deficiency through salt iodisation.
“Food processors have played a pivotal role in translating these policies into action, helping to expand access to fortified products nationwide. Despite this progress, micronutrient deficiencies remain a significant challenge,” Yusufali said.
He said 18 per cent of children under five are, according to the national surveys, stunted, while over 60 per cent of women are iron-deficient.
Yusufali said these figures highlight both the progress made and the opportunity for deeper collaboration, innovation, and accountability across the food system to deliver greater impact, particularly from the private sector, whose continued leadership is critical.
“In response, Millers for Nutrition has been working to strengthen Kenya’s LSFF program, expanding the reach of adequately fortified foods and helping to close critical nutrition gaps,” Yusufali said.
The Millers for Nutrition (M4N) initiative was launched in 2023 to focus on empowering food processors through capacity building, recognising and driving behavioural change among companies excelling in the fortification of key staples like wheat flour, maize flour, rice and sugar.
Yusufali said the programme creates incentives for continued excellence by celebrating millers’ commitment to superior fortified foods.
He said the coalition is dedicated to substantially improving nutrition for 1 billion people by 2026.
“As part of these efforts, and in collaboration with the Cereal Millers Association (CMA), the Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI) was introduced to strengthen accountability and reinforce excellence among millers, while creating a system of recognition and reward for sustained quality in food fortification,” Yusufali said.
He said that by complementing government enforcement mechanisms, KMFI acts as a self-regulatory platform on the basis of transparency and peer benchmarking.
Yusufali noted that the upcoming event would serve as a landmark gathering of Kenya’s food industry leaders, government officials, development partners, and civil society.
It will celebrate millers who have demonstrated outstanding performance in food fortification, highlight innovations shaping the future of LSFF, and drive strategic discussions for scale and sustainability.
The event will recognise fortification champions, celebrate high-performing millers who consistently meet or exceed fortification standards in wheat flour, maize flour, and edible oils.
Yusufali said the event would also reinforce industry commitment, encourage more companies to adopt best practices and actively engage in KMFI, promoting sector-wide accountability.
It would equally foster public-private partnerships, strengthen alignment between government, development partners, and the private sector to address persistent fortification challenges.
It’s also intended to promote consumer trust, catalyse innovation and elevate recognition based on what matters most to millers, alongside delivering strategic value by responding to millers’ real-world prioritie,s including business visibility, peer learning, and access to innovation platforms.
Those expected to participate in the event include: Chief Executive Officers and senior leadership from food processing companies, government representatives (Ministries of Health, Industry & Trade, Agriculture), Millers for Nutrition Strategic Fortification Partners and regulatory agencies (KEBS, Ministry of Health Food Fortification Unit).
Others are: academia and technical institutions, Civil society and consumer advocacy groups, Media and thought leaders.
