In Kenya, FAO concludes an evaluation of the national food control system
Last week FAO concluded a six-month assessment of Kenya’s food control system with a final workshop in Nairobi where high-level executives endorsed the recommendations of the final report and committed to implementing its strategic plan. The assessment is part of "Strengthening of Capacities and Governance in Food and Phytosanitary Control,” a 5-million-euro project funded by the European Union which began in November 2022 to provide technical support and work with Competent Authorities and other leading institutions in 11 Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Member Countries. The project is designed to build up capabilities, strengthen governance and improve strategic planning around two main components: food safety and plant health.
The initiative aligns with the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Policy Framework for Africa, a framework developed by the African Union (AU) laying the foundations for trade opportunities among AU Member States. This project is implemented in close partnership with the African Commission Division for Rural Economy and Agriculture (AUC DARBE).
Last month, a similar assessment was successfully completed with a workshop in the island nation of Comoros. Strategic workshops are scheduled to take place throughout the coming months as the assessments reach their final stages across the participating countries.
Assessment of the national food control system in Kenya
Project activities in Kenya which began with an inception training in March 2023 consisted of a team of food safety experts from FAO working closely with 39 focal points from local Competent Authorities for food safety and relevant stakeholders to gather and analyse data and information across several dimensions of the system. Once the data was collected, the FAO team conducted field visits and interviews and, together with the focal points, reviewed the data, conducted a strategic analysis and produced a final report on the status of the country’s food safety control system and recommendations to improve it.
Pivotal to the project was the introduction of the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool, a unique instrument developed by both United Nations agencies to assess the national food control system in a comprehensive manner, by looking at the entire food chain, including production, distribution, the retail market and consumers.
Ultimately, the assessment aims to assist Kenya in adhering to international standards that will allow greater harmonization and trade in the region.
Conclusion of the project and the final workshop
The final workshop was the culmination of the assessment, with stakeholders, experts, and officials from ministries involved in Kenya’s food control system convening to review findings and recommendations of the assessment, agree on priorities and develop a strategic action plan to facilitate its implementation.
Participants expressed enthusiasm in the assessment and its findings. “The FAO facilitation team have great expertise,” said Tom Midega from the Kenya Ports Authority in Mombasa, adding “from the initial training, the data collection and now the strategic workshop, everything has fallen into place.”
The key moment of the workshop was on 1 September when high-level officials from Ministries across the country’s food control system approved and endorsed the recommendations and a shared vision, committing to implement the strategic action plan stemming from the assessment, promote synergies and engage donors.
The outcomes of the assessment and last week’s workshop will help shape the future of food safety in Kenya.
The next country to conclude the assessment is the Seychelles, where the final workshop will be held on 12-15 September. More countries using the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool and completing food control assessments contributes to greater adherence to international standards, increased harmonization and more trade in the region.
Read more about the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool
Visit the website on FAO’s work in Kenya here
Photo: © FAO/Jairo Romero