From August 2020 to September 2023, USAID Advancing Nutrition Kenya invested significant time, resources, and energy into strengthening governance structures in Kenya to enhance multi-sectoral nutrition (MSN) efforts. In partnership with Kenya national and county governments of Kakamega, Kisumu and Kitui, the project co-created a joint work plan to improve governance for nutrition. This work focused on policy development and implementation, MSN planning, and accountability for nutrition financing and service delivery. 

Policy: We facilitated the dissemination of national level policies and their customization into county action plans. We supported the National Ministry of Health-Division of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development-Agrinutrition Unit to disseminate the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan, and the Agrinutrition Implementation Strategy. Additionally, Kakamega, Kisumu and Kitui customized their own context-specific plans respectively.

Planning: We facilitated joint planning for nutrition across the health, agriculture, education, social services and WASH sectors. At the county level, we supported performance reviews and the development of annual operations work plans, county integrated development plans (PDF. 3.14 MB), and medium-term expenditure frameworks. Furthermore, we taught county and national nutrition managers and supervisors about program-based budgeting to ensure that nutrition is prioritized across MSN sector budgets. 

Accountability: Advocacy for increased nutrition financing calls for accountability for financial resources allocated for nutrition and better nutrition services at the community level. We supported the identification and strengthening of 10 local CSOs across the three counties; and the customization of county MSN financial tracking tool and scorecard to enhance nutrition performance review and tracking of nutrition financing. Furthermore we facilitated the establishment of MSN coordination structures that enhanced government led coordination for nutrition. We also identified and trained 186 nutrition champions that advocated and called for the prioritization of nutrition at national and county levels. To enhance advocacy for nutrition we developed 3 investment cases that demonstrated the economic burden of malnutrition.  

Learn more about USAID Advancing Nutrition's work to strengthen nutrition governance.