Nutrition experts have expressed concern over the rising rates of overweight and obesity, particularly among women of reproductive age and adolescents.
Besides obesity, Kenya’s nutrition landscape is facing a complex crisis marked by persistent child undernutrition and widespread micronutrient deficiencies.
Experts warn that unless coordinated, multisectoral interventions are scaled up, the country risks missing critical global health and development targets.
Veronica Kirogo, Director of Nutrition and Dietetics Services at the Ministry of Health, said nearly 45 per cent of women in this group are affected – a worrying trend prevalent in urban areas.
Data also shows that adolescent and adult women are more likely to be overweight or obese than their male counterparts, while more adolescent boys than girls are underweight.
“These statistics are clear evidence that malnutrition is a multifaceted problem with diverse causes and they are a call to urgent action,” Kirogo said.
Child undernutrition remains a major challenge, costing the country an estimated Sh373.9 billion annually, the equivalent of 6.9 per cent of the GDP.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, Kenya faces a triple burden of malnutrition, encompassing undernutrition (stunting, wasting and underweight), micronutrient deficiencies and a growing prevalence of overweight and obesity, especially diet-related non-communicable diseases.
Findings from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey show that nationally, 18 per cent of children under five are stunted, 10 per cent are underweight, 3 per cent are overweight or obese and 42 per cent of pregnant women experience iron deficiency anaemia.
“Addressing this challenge requires going beyond health interventions. We need innovative, multi-sectoral approaches and strong political will if we are to meet targets like the Sustainable Development Goals and World Health Assembly goals,” Kirogo said.
To this end, the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (KNAP) 2023–2027 outlines prioritised, evidence-based interventions to tackle the root causes of malnutrition across all age groups.
To reinforce this commitment, Kenya registered 10 multisectoral nutrition pledges during the upcoming 2025 Nutrition for Growth Summit.
“During the recent national food systems stocktaking, best practices under the "Diversified and Nutritious Diets" pathway were identified for potential scale-up. A key component of the national strategy includes Social and Behaviour Change Communication.”
Kirogo noted the importance of the Catalysing Strengthened Policy Action for Healthy Diets and Resilience project media toolkit as a resource for aligning advocacy and communication.
The Cascade project, implemented by Gain and Care, is active in Nakuru, Nyandarua and Nairobi counties and aims to improve food security for five million women and children.
Emmanuel Mwenda, programme officer, Nutrition Information, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Division of Nutrition and Dietetics Services under the Ministry of Health, presented a national overview on the nutrition situation showing some improvement in child nutrition.
He said stunting rates have declined from 26 per cent to 17.6 per cent. However, wasting has marginally increased, largely due to ongoing droughts.
The highest stunting rates were reported in Kilifi (37%), West Pokot (34%), Samburu (31%), while it was lowest in Garissa and Kisumu at 9 per cent respectively.
Persistent stunting was reported in Turkana at 23 per cent in 2022, although down slightly from 23.9 per cent in 2014.
Mwenda said improvements were seen in Kitui, Uasin Gishu, Kakamega, Mandera, Nandi and Laikipia counties.
“Wasting remains highest in arid and semi-arid regions, with Wajir (22.8%), Turkana (22.6%), and Marsabit (20.4%) reporting the worst rates. In total, 760,000 children aged 6–59 months suffer from acute malnutrition, with 180,400 of them classified as severely acutely malnourished,” said Mwenda.
“There has been some progress in reducing overweight among children under five, from four per cent to three per cent nationally. However, Nyamira, Kisii, Nairobi and Nyeri counties still report higher rates at 6 percent.”
The nutrition overview also showed that micronutrient deficiencies remain a critical issue, where 52.6 per cent of preschool children and 37.6 per cent of school-age children suffer from marginal Vitamin A deficiency.
Additionally, 26.3 per cent of preschool children and 41.6 per cent of pregnant women are anaemic.
Despite some improvements, Mwenda warned that underlying drivers of malnutrition persist. These include chronic food insecurity, poor child feeding practices, inadequate water and sanitation (WASH), high living costs and the lingering effects of past droughts and under-resourced programmes.
The Ministry's report pointed out that addressing Kenya’s triple burden of malnutrition requires strengthening the national food system to ensure access to safe, diverse and nutritious foods.
Promoting healthier agricultural and consumption practices, alongside systemic reforms, is vital for sustainable progress.
