The Kenya Food Security Meeting (KFSM) is the main coordinating body that brings together food security actors in a forum where information is exchanged, options debated and decisions on activities formulated for referral to the Government of Kenya and donors. It is an open forum of high level presentation of a broad grouping of organizations at the national level with interest in food security.
KFSM is responsible for addressing food security issues, building trust, shared purpose and understanding, as well as maintaining institutional memory of the key national actors. It provides the mechanism to channel decisions upwards to the appropriate government bodies and donors, and is a mechanism for advising, accountability and legitimacy.
The KFSM meets once a month, and is chaired by the Government of Kenya’s Office of the President. Its membership includes food security related line ministries, UN agencies, the Red Cross Movement, NGOs and donors. Although better known for its role in coordinating the response to recurring drought emergencies, the KFSM has six sectoral working groups that deal with the detailed issues of the various sectors, and subsequently feed back to the KFSM.
KFSM Sectoral Working Groups
Provide technical backstopping and set standards within sectors for data collection, analysis, assessments and interventions. These are the Sectoral Working Groups;
- Agriculture and Livestock (FAO/Agriculture/OP)
- Water and Sanitation (UNICEF/Ministry of Water)
- Health and Nutrition (UNICEF and Ministry of Health)
- Disaster Management (Kenya Red Cross and OP-Relief and Rehabilitation )
- Education – School Feeding Programme
- Food Aid Estimates- WFP/OP-Relief and Rehabilitation
Kenya Food Security Meeting Membership
GOVERNMENT
- Office of the President
- NDMA
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development
- Ministry of Water Development
- Ministry of Education
- Central Bureau of Statistics
UN AGENCIES/DONORS/NGOs
- FAO
- UNICEF
- WFP
- UN- DPMCU
- FEWS NET
- DFiD
- CRS
- OXFAM (GB)
- Red Cross