Urbanization-Triggered Industrial Development in Kenya’s Peri-Urban Areas and Its Implications on Food Security: The Case of Kiambu County

Urbanization presents significant challenges and transformations in rural development and food security, particularly in rapidly expanding peri-urban regions. This study examines what urbanization-triggered industrial development means for food security in Kiambu County, Kenya, which neighbors the national capital city, Nairobi. Using Neo-Malthusian theory and a pragmatic research approach, a mix of qualitative and survey-based data was collected and analyzed in responding to the study questions. The study sought to evaluate how industrial expansion as an element of urbanization influenced food production, distribution and the local food system. From a sampling frame comprising of farmers, agricultural workers, urban planners and officials from the government drawn from Kiambu Town, Kikuyu and Ruiru subcounties, a sample size of 400 was determined using Slovin’s formula. Purposive and proportionate simple random sampling techniques were used to share the sample across the subcounties. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while the qualitative data set was analyzed using content analysis. The study established an 85% increase in conversion of farmland into industries over the last 20 years. The increase in industrialization had contributed to a decline in food production as reported by 65% of the respondents as more people left farming to work in the industries. Land-use transformations caused by urbanization-triggered industrial development show that fewer farms are involved in agriculture and old food systems are being replaced. The study points out that local realities differ greatly from the national rules set in the form of zoning and greening policies. It recommends to policy makers and development experts that improving land management, city planning and developing urban farming will improve food security and put peri-urban industrial growth on a sustainable path.