By Eddah Waithaka
Industry leaders, government officials, and nutrition experts will converge this September to tackle one of Kenya’s most persistent health challenges, ‘micronutrient deficiencies’.
The forum, hosted by the Millers for Nutrition (M4N) coalition, will celebrate top performers in food fortification and drive new strategies to expand the reach of life-enhancing nutrients in staple foods.
The Kenyan government mandates the fortification of wheat flour, maize flour, and edible oils, building on the country’s historic success in eliminating iodine deficiency through salt iodization.
Food processors have played a pivotal role in translating these policies into action, yet national surveys reveal that micronutrient deficiencies remain a critical issue.
Recent data shows 18% of children under five suffer from stunting, and over 60% of women live with iron deficiency.
“These figures highlight both the progress made and the urgent need for deeper collaboration,” said a spokesperson for Millers for Nutrition. “The private sector’s continued leadership is critical to closing these nutrition gaps.”
In response, the Millers for Nutrition initiative has worked to strengthen Kenya’s Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) program. A key innovation in this effort is the Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI).
Launched in collaboration with the Cereal Millers Association (CMA), the KMFI creates a system of transparency and peer benchmarking that rewards millers for sustained quality and compliance, complementing government enforcement.
The upcoming forum will serve as a launchpad for the next phase of this effort. Under the theme “Unlocking Sustainable Fortification: Innovation, Performance & Ecosystem Recognition,” the event will honour food processing companies that have demonstrated excellence in fortifying staple foods.
This landmark gathering will drive the nutrition agenda forward by recognizing fortification champions who exceed national standards, reinforcing industry-wide commitment to best practices, fostering stronger public-private partnerships to tackle challenges, promoting consumer trust through awareness campaigns, catalyzing innovation with digital tools and data, and elevating millers by addressing their core business priorities like visibility and peer learning.
The event will feature keynote speeches, data presentations, and panel discussions. It will bring together CEOs of major food processing companies, representatives from key government ministries, regulatory agencies, development partners, and civil society groups.
Millers for Nutrition has dedicated itself to substantially improving nutrition for one billion people by 2026.
This September’s forum marks a significant step in mobilizing Kenya’s food industry to ensure that progress continues at home, turning policy into tangible health benefits for millions.
