Kenya Grapples With Staggering Levels of Food Waste Amid Hunger Crisis

Image Credit: Enock Sikolia

A new report has laid bare the alarming extent of food wastage in Kenya, raising critical questions about food security, lost livelihoods, and the squandered potential for job creation in one of East Africa’s largest economies. The findings, first reported by CGTN journalist Enock Sikolia, highlight the paradox of a nation where millions go hungry even as tons of produce rot before reaching the dinner table.

In Lodwar, a semi-arid town more than 600 kilometers from Nairobi, the challenge is all too real. As the sun dips below the horizon, traders at the town’s bustling fresh produce market scramble to sell off fruits, vegetables, and fish before the day ends. Yet for many, the effort is in vain. Without cold storage facilities, goods spoil in the sweltering heat, forcing traders to absorb devastating losses.

“I have only sold items that are worth less than a dollar since morning and I am facing a lot of needs,” said Joan Nafuna, a trader who fears her inventory will rot before it finds buyers. “We really need help as traders here. We are really suffering. The cost of living is quite high, yet we are not getting much from our goods.”

The consequences of such losses stretch far beyond individual vendors. A report by the World Resources Institute Africa, the Food and Land Use Coalition–Kenya, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology reveals just how extensive the problem has become: 36% of maize never reaches consumers, 56% of fruits perish along the supply chain, 34% of fish fail to make it to market, and nearly a quarter of all potatoes spoil before being eaten.

“These are not small numbers,” stressed Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes for Africa at the World Resources Institute. “You will see in some of those markets a lot of potatoes just dumped there… How many more people can we feed with this food that is actually being wasted? What kind of opportunities does this present? We keep talking about jobs—what kind of opportunities are in this problem?”

For traders like Elizabeth Odinga, the issue is compounded by transport delays and poor handling of goods. “It ends up being a complete loss—for example, if I buy produce from a farmer and the delivery vehicle gets delayed, the goods spoil during transport,” she explained.

These losses ripple through the economy. For households, it translates into higher food prices. For farmers and traders, it means reduced incomes. And for the government, it signifies wasted resources invested in agricultural production.

The report warns that unless Kenya addresses these inefficiencies, food insecurity will remain entrenched. Solutions such as investment in cooling facilities, better transportation networks, and improved storage methods could not only reduce waste but also unlock opportunities for employment and innovation in the agricultural sector.

As Chomba noted, the problem is clear, but so too is the potential: “When the rains dry and the maize is not properly dried, that farmer knows the losses they are going to incur. The money they invested, the money they expected from sales—all of it goes to waste. But if we tackle this challenge, we don’t just save food—we safeguard livelihoods.”

For Kenya, the path forward may not lie only in producing more, but in saving what is already grown.