In the green highlands of Murang’a County, a quiet agricultural revolution is transforming lives linking the farm to the table and the hospital ward.
Through agroecology, farmers are embracing organic and sustainable practices that promote healthier diets and combat chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The shift, led by local farmers and supported by the Murang’a County Government, seeks to restore food systems while improving public health.
Farmers like Elizabeth Njeri from Gatanga Sub-County have replaced chemical farming with organic production growing herbs, vegetables, and medicinal plants that promote wellness. “Agroecology taught me to work with nature,” she says. “We now eat better, earn more, and stay healthier.”
The transformation is backed by the Diabetes Awareness Trust (DAT), the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN), and the Organic Agriculture Centre of Kenya (OACK), through a new Food Farmacy Initiative. The project promotes the idea of “food as medicine” and encourages households to embrace locally grown, chemical-free foods.
DAT Director Hannah Kigamba said the initiative launched last week and running until 2029 will bring nutrition advice closer to families by working with community health workers and extension officers. “We want to take nutrition advice from hospitals to households,” she noted.
Murang’a County Executive for Devolution, Prof. Kiringai Kamau, added that the county aims to cut its Ksh3 billion annual health bill by preventing lifestyle diseases. “Instead of medicine, patients will get food prescriptions. Every home should become a centre of healing through what we eat,” he said.
Murang’a is the first county in Kenya to pass an Agroecology Policy and Law and sign the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, positioning it as a national leader in sustainable food systems.
GODAN representative Derrick Ngige said early results show promise. “In a pilot project with 30 diabetic patients, 26 achieved remission. It’s clear food can heal,” he said.
Experts say the initiative could not only improve health outcomes but also strengthen rural livelihoods by opening new markets for organic produce. As Murang’a continues to lead the way, its farms may well become the frontline in Kenya’s fight against chronic disease.
