Effect of the Hunger Safety Net Programme on Household Food Insecurity: Lessons from Marsabit County, Kenya

Abstract

This study assessed the effects of the Hunger Safety Net Programme in reducing household food insecurity in Marsabit, County, Kenya. Worldwide, social safety programmes have largely been implemented in the drylands targeting vulnerable households. However, poverty and food insecurity remain high, especially in arid and semi-arid lands. The study employed a survey research design. Data was collected between October 2023 and December 2023 targeting 334 households who had graduated from the Hunger Safety Net Programme in Marsabit County, Kenya. The findings indicate that 10.8% of the respondents were food secure, 3.3% were mildly food insecure, 2.7% were moderately food insecure and 83.2% were severely food insecure. Simple regression analysis indicates that cash transfer amount, adequacy of cash transfer, and duration of support had a statistically significant (p<0.05) effect on food insecurity. Multiple linear regression further reveals that households whose main livelihood was business, b=-0.171, p=0.007, casual labour, b=-0.119, p=0.036, and remittances, b=-0.140, p=0.039 were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of food insecurity. The study concludes that despite a slight improvement in households on their food security through Hunger Safety Net Programme support, the majority were still food insecure. The study suggests an increment of the cash transfer amount, a longer duration of beneficiaries in the programme, and the introduction of conditional seed capital to the beneficiary to start income-generating activities to enhance food insecurity.