Private Investment in Urban Agriculture in Nairobi, Kenya

Urban agriculture is an important economic activity both for poor and commercial urban
farmers. Urban agriculture constitutes an important food security strategy for
poor urban farming families. Commercial urban agriculture makes a significant contribution to
employment and income generation. The role of urban agriculture has become
even more critical in Kenya because of the deteriorating urban poverty
situation. Kenyan urban poverty is estimated at 50 per cent and it is feared that
the situation will deteriorate in the future (Republic of Kenya 2002).