Rachel Ruto launches kitchen garden drive in Samburu to tackle hunger, malnutrition

First Lady Rachel Ruto launches National Mama Kitchen Garden Programme at Kisima Girls Secondary School in Samburu County on October 14, 2025 / HANDOUT

First Lady Rachel Ruto has called on schools and households to embrace kitchen gardens as a sustainable solution to hunger and malnutrition.

On Tuesday Mama Rachel launched the National Mama Kitchen Garden Programme at Kisima Girls Secondary School in Samburu County.

Speaking during the county rollout, Mama Rachel said the initiative offers practical, locally adapted ways to boost food security in communities affected by drought and climate change.

“Here in Samburu, where food insecurity is felt so deeply, kitchen gardens thrive on indigenous crops, require little space and water, and can flourish even in the harshest conditions,” she said.

Under the theme “Building Resilient Households, Schools, and Communities,” the program aligns with President William Ruto’s vision of a food-secure Kenya.

“This initiative reflects his vision for a Kenya where every household and every school plays a role in ending hunger, restoring our environment, and building prosperity from the ground up,” she added.

The First Lady emphasized that the program is about more than just gardens.

“It is about ensuring no child goes to school hungry, that households have access to nutritious food, and that women and youth find economic power in the soil beneath their feet,” she said.

She also shared the revival of 4K Clubs to teach children sustainable farming practices.

Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit pledged support for the program, directing the agriculture department to work closely with Mama Doing Good.

PS Agriculture Kiprono Ronoh said the ministry plans to scale the initiative nationwide, and ensure that every school adopts the kitchen garden initiative.

Mama Doing Good CEO Elizabeth Koskei highlighted the urgency saying it is time to start a series of small things.

“35 per cent of our children are malnourished. Kitchen gardens may look small, but together they will have a ripple effect. Great things aren’t done by impulse; they are done through a series of small things brought together.”

First Lady Rachel Ruto among other leaders, interacts with residents during the launch of National Mama Kitchen Garden Programme at Kisima Girls Secondary School in Samburu County on October 14, 2025 / HANDOUT

Acting CEO of Kenyatta National Hospital Richard Lesiyampe praised the health benefits, noting that kitchen gardens bring nutritional balance to meat-heavy diets in pastoral communities.

Mama Rachel commended the County First Ladies Association for supporting grassroots implementation, urging counties to continue empowering women.

Other leaders said Samburu County will address perennial drought and boost its huge livestock potential once water problems are addressed.

On May 31, Mama Rachel attended the second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly (UNHA 2.2) and spotlighted the Mama Kitchen Garden Initiative.

The program, part of the broader Feed One, End Hunger campaign, aims to enhance the production of nutritious food in both urban and rural settings.

The First Lady’s vision supports the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda on food security and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those on sustainable cities. 

UN-Habitat Deputy Executive Director Michal Mlynár commended the Mama Kitchen Garden Initiative for successfully localizing global sustainability efforts.

He described it as a vital example of community-driven impact and reaffirmed UN-Habitat’s commitment to supporting such initiatives across Kenya, East Africa, and beyond.