About the Kenya Country Platform

Prolinnova–Kenya (PK) is a network of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government research and extension organisations, farmer organisations, universities and community-based organisations (CBOs). It came together to provide a multistakeholder platform (MSP) to learn about promoting farmer-led innovation processes. This was initiated in 2007 with the goals to recognise the dynamics of indigenous knowledge and to enhance the capacities of farmers to adjust to change by developing their own innovations and appropriate systems of agroecology and natural resource management (NRM) so as to achieve food security, sustain their livelihoods and safeguard the environment.

We are engaged in identifying and inventorising local innovation and innovators and supportive organisations in Kenya and in building the capacity of stakeholders to use participatory approaches in agricultural research and development (ARD). We encourage partnership with stakeholders (farmers, researchers, development agents and private-sector actors) to engage in joint innovation processes. The MSP is an innovative way of bringing together stakeholders in agriculture and NRM to collaborate and learn from each other, as well as from experiences in other countries in the region and in the wider international Prolinnova community.

Since 2016, we are one of five Prolinnova Country Platforms involved in the Proli-FaNS (Promoting Local Innovation in Food and Nutrition Security) project with funding from Misereor/Katholische Zentralstelle e.V. (Catholic Central Agency for Development Aid – KZE, Germany) through a grant from the “One World No Hunger” (SEWOH) initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). We are now involved in the follow-on project SULCI-FaNS (Scaling Up Local Capacity to Innovate in Food and Nutrition Security), which runs from 2019 to 2022, likewise funded through Misereor.

VISION STATEMENT: We envision a Kenyan society in which farmer-led innovation and research in agroecology and NRM are drivers of sustainable livelihoods.

MISSION STATEMENTOur mission is to improve the livelihoods of local communities in Kenya through networking and capacity strengthening that promote agroecology and NRM innovation validation, wider application and farmer-led adaptation to new settings and conditions.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

  1. Collaboration
  2. Adaptability
  3. Ownership
  4. Empowerment
  5. Respect
  6. Reliability
  7. Sustainability

STRATEGIES

  1. Institutionalisation
  2. Prolinnova-Kenya (PK) strengthening
  3. Advocacy
  4. Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
  5. Fundraising
  6. Joint learning

Current activities

  1. Developing an inventory and database of existing local innovations, innovators and partner organisations in Kenya
  2. Building the capacity of stakeholders (farmers, researchers, extensionists and policymakers) in using participatory approaches in ARD
  3. Advocacy and lobbying: stakeholders sensitised and influenced on the importance of local innovation in ARD
  4. Creating and strengthening partnerships between stakeholders to engage in joint innovation processes with farmers in the lead
  5. Setting up local MSPs for reflection, analysis and learning about in-country experience in promoting local innovation, and the strengths and weaknesses in developing and promoting local initiatives in Kenya
  6. Monitoring and evaluation of local innovation processes and joint validation of local innovations
  7. Resource mobilisation: adequate resources generated to enable implementation of PK activities
  8. Joint learning: creating platforms and frameworks for information and knowledge generation and sharing
  9. Information and knowledge on local innovation generated, documented and disseminated
  10. PK strengthening: functional national secretariat established with representation at county level
  11. Institutionalisation: incorporation of PK approaches into the core business of the member organisations and more widely in ARD in the country

Prolinnova–Kenya National Steering Committee (NSC):

  1. Bell Okello, ETC Consulting, NSC Chairperson
  2. Chris Macoloo, World Neighbors
  3. Geoffrey Kamau, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO)
  4. (Ms) Florence Olubayo, University of Nairobi
  5. (Ms) Elizabeth Wanja
  6. Makonge Righa, World Neighbors
  7. (Ms) Violet Kirigua, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO)
  8. Wilson Oduori, Ministry of Agriculture
  9. Joseph Munywoki, Inades Formation Kenya

Vincent Mariadho, Prolinnova–Kenya National Coordinator, ex-officio member

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