Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has launched a five-year project dubbed Mama Link, aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes in Tharaka-Nithi County by integrating agriculture and health, two sectors deeply interconnected in enhancing community well-being.
The multidisciplinary initiative brings together experts from various fields and institutions. The official launch took place on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the Rural Initiatives Development Programme (RIDEP), a community-based partner organization in Marimanti town, Tharaka South Sub-County. The event marked the beginning of what stakeholders described as a transformative journey for the region.
The project’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Kaibui Mwikamba, Department of Agricultural Resource Economics (DARE), noted that Mama Link, which is funded by VLIRUOS, is a collaborative effort involving JKUAT, three other Kenyan universities, and Vives University (Belgium).
“We are intentionally combining agricultural and health interventions because improved farming practices are
key to the availability of nutrient-dense foods, which are vital for maternal and child health,” he said.
Dr. Kaibui, along with co-investigators Dr. Florence Kyallo from the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and Dr. Mathew Gicheha from the Department of Animal Science, emphasized the project’s participatory approach. They intend to work closely with farmers and agricultural extension officers to promote safe food production by educating communities on what to grow, when to grow it, and how to grow it without relying on harmful pesticides.
The researchers will also engage local health promoters and the County Departments of Health and Agriculture to raise awareness on the connection between food systems and nutrition. This includes, building community understanding of balanced diets, food safety, and the importance of sustainable agricultural practices in preventing malnutrition and disease.
Dr. Florence Kyallo noted that the well-being of a mother, and consequently, the child begins long before conception. She noted that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life must be safeguarded through proper nutrition, care, and informed decisions, as this critical window lays the foundation for long-term health, cognitive development, and productivity in adulthood.
RIDEP Chairman, Mr. Daniel Kiambi, welcomed the initiative, noting, minority groups such as women, particularly in patriarchal African societies are often excluded and underappreciated due to deeply rooted cultural norms. He commended the project for its advocacy component and, more importantly, for involving communities at the grassroots level in a participatory and inclusive manner.
The project has also deliberately involved men, recognizing their central role in decision-making and resource management. Mr. Joram Njagi, a member of the Mama Safi Self-Help Group, expressed his appreciation for being included.
“We are the ones who till the land manually since we have no tractors, fetch water, and make major decisions in our households. All these affect the success of health and agriculture interventions,” he said.
The project has developed a comprehensive research tool to collect baseline data, which Dr. Mathew Gicheha explained will help identify priority areas and those in urgent need of intervention. The data collection will be carried out by trained community health promoters embedded within the local population.
While endorsing the initiative, the Sub County Department of Health representative Mr. Maurice Munene noted that empowering children through proper nutrition is critical for sustaining future generations and filling the demographic gaps left by an ageing population.
He emphasised the need for enhanced knowledge on post-harvest storage and food preservation to ensure year-round access to nutrient-rich foods, even beyond the harvesting season.
The JKUAT research team which also includes two undergraduate students from DARE will implement the Mama Link project in collaboration with Alupe University, the University of Eldoret, and Maseno University.
By 2030, the institutions aim to reduce maternal and child mortality rates in Tharaka-Nithi County, which Dr. Kaibui observes, is a region that continues to face significant health and nutrition challenges.
