Enhancing Food Security Through Result-Oriented Policies in Kenya’s Drylands: A Case of Kikumbulyu North Ward, Makueni County

Food security and economic growth in Kenya’s Drylands is undermined by lack of adequate application of policy interventions. This paper examines insights on how food policy interventions influence on food security in Kikumbulyu North Ward of Makueni County. Specifically, the research established the extent in which policy intervention affect food security, assessed to what degree them strategies deployed achieved food security and established to what extent policy strategies were adequate in achieving food security in Kikumbulyu North Ward of Makueni County. The study used a cross-sectional descriptive research design. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and an interview guide to key informants. A sample size of 138 households in Kikumbulyu North Ward were interviewed. A stratified sampling method was used to administer the 138 questionnaires to the sample. Data analysis was further performed using descriptive methods and inferential analysis methods where frequencies, mean, standard deviation were used to summarise the collected data and the results were presented in form of tables and charts. The response rate was 97.1% and the findings showed that food policies have not been successful in improving food security. Therefore, to improve on policy interventions of food security, it was recommended of the need to strengthen the monitoring and evaluating of food security issues in Kenya Drylands by periodically reviewing our policy implementation results so as to adopt result-oriented policies. This will focus on improving the previous period of policy implementation as a baseline in formulating and implementation of new period policy. This, therefore, will ensure connectivity of policy implementation and guide on how the food stakeholders can do business geared towards achieving the zero hunger agenda.