Urban agriculture and its determinants in Kidfarmaco estate, Kikuyu Town

Urban agriculture is an important multifunctional aspect of the urban ecosystem that contributes to the sustainability and resilience of urban areas. The unplanned transition from the traditional spatial character of agriculture to that of urban agriculture presents a challenge in the residential areas of Kidfarmaco Estate, Kikuyu Town. To understand the character of urban agriculture, the paper sought to describe urban agriculture and its determinants. The study took a quantitative research approach and a survey design. Snowballing was identified as the best sampling method for the study. Data was collected from a total of 93 resident farmers. The sample size was determined during data collection upon data saturation. Questionnaires with statements describing urban agriculture and its determinants were rated on a 7-point Likert scale by resident farmers. The data was analyzed using multiple linear regression to establish whether these determinants explain urban agriculture within the Estate. Economic and social factors were found to be significant in explaining the likelihood of a resident of Kidfarmaco Estate, Kikuyu Town practicing urban agriculture at a significance of 0.000 and 0.026 respectively. Independent variables accounted for 30.7% of the variance of urban agriculture. The regression line predicted by the independent variables explains a significant amount of the variance in urban agriculture (F (6,86) =6.339, P<0.05). Economic factors included; employment creation, land productivity, and improved economy. Social factors included; food and health literacy, health and well-being, and recreational opportunities. Economic and social factors of urban agriculture should therefore be capitalized on to facilitate sustainable urban agriculture in Kikuyu Town. For ease of implementation, these strategies should conform to the legal framework (the constitution of Kenya, the Urban Areas and Cities Act, and the Agricultural Act); and be in line with the municipal, county, and national spatial plans.