During visits to groups from diverse climatic areas and
with different means of livelihood the mission was able to
identify issues recurring countrywide that, if not tackled
seriously, will continue to act as serious hindrances to the
full enjoyment of the right to food of all sectors of the
Kenyan population. These include widespread inequality
and exclusion of people living in poverty for economic,
social and political participation; endemic corruption and
nepotism; discrimination against and marginalisation of
women, children, youth, the disabled and minority groups
including the rural and urban poor; the increasing HIV
and AIDS prevalence rate in certain areas of the country;
lack of access to water for crop irrigation; overreliance
on maize as a food-crop at the expense of other more
sustainable crops; difficulties in accessing markets and
market information for smallholder producers and finally
that the rapid population growth is not sufficiently
addressed in policies and programmes aimed at improving
food security and promoting development in Kenya.