Strengthening Food Safety Through Gender-Sensitive Interventions Among Food Vendors in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements
Date
2025
Authors
Wawire, Violet K.
Marinda, Pamela. A
Onyango, Arnold
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Abstract
Informal settlements in Nairobi, such as Kibera, host over half of the city’s population and rely heavily on mainly female informal food vendors for daily sustenance. Food safety is a critical public health issue, yet, in informal settlements like Kibera, it remains under-prioritized in policy and practice. While there are food safety policies and regulations for Nairobi County, they lack gender responsive strategies that address barriers that affect female vendors who are the majority. Furthermore, these policies are poorly regulated in informal markets exposing consumers to contaminated food. The food vendors operate in challenging conditions of poor hygiene and sanitation, worsened by limited access to clean water and inadequate waste management systems. Thus, isolating and studying the underlying problems that form an obstacle to achieving better food safety practices is crucial in improving the food safety practices of the female and male vendors. Hence, this policy brief draws on a gendered study of food vendors in Nairobi’s slums to highlight disparities in food safety practices and propose actionable recommendations.