First feed the nation, then do ‘projects’

Kenyans are hungry and getting angry and it might get ugly; after all, a hungry man is an angry man. But I agree with President William Ruto that we cannot afford shortcuts as we seek answers to the question of hunger; we cannot live on subsidies, especially at the very end of the line of production. You don’t treat a serious condition with painkillers. 

We need to read up on Nigeria. The ‘black gold’ (read oil) was discovered in the West African country in the 1950s. In 1971, they joined the league of leading oil producers, Opec. But then, the food-sufficient country abandoned agriculture and the young generation moved to major cities to find work in oil and related industries. 

Nigeria became a leading producer of oil but became reliant on food imports. In the meantime, its population increased rapidly. The country had to review its policy on imported foods.

Kenya has had its fair share of success. The land boom—yes, every part of the earth in Kenya is literally big money. Our planners and government don’t care where we are “planting concrete”, dealing a blow to food production. There is a need to put a stop to the sale and subdivision of agricultural land for “development”. 

Food-secure

Food security is a process. We can’t be food-secure while clearing forests, which affects the climate. We also need to desilt our rivers and ensure they are not polluted. When rivers are choked they die, hurting food production. 

Small-scale farmers must be persuaded to form groups or cooperatives to simplify the management and monitoring of the farms. Farmers must be motivated to farm. And isn’t it shameful that farmers lose a lot of food due to poor roads? How much would it cost to process perishables and dry them to avoid wastage?

We shall not be food-secure by subsidising fertiliser and other inputs but by planning. First address the issue of diminishing forests, soil erosion and pollution then bring farmers together.

Mr Mungai, a retired teacher, is a businessman and social worker in Washington State, United States. [email protected]. @mungaijn