UN appoints new FAO representative as Kenya faces food insecurity and climate challenges

The United Nations has appointed Farayi Zimudzi as the new Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Kenya, at a time when the country is grappling with climate-related shocks, high food prices, and the urgent need to modernise its agricultural sector.

Farayi Zimudzi formally presented her credentials to Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi in Nairobi, marking the start of her tenure as FAO’s country head.

Her appointment comes at a critical moment for Kenya’s agriculture sector, which contributes about 33 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) directly and a further 27 per cent indirectly through linkages with manufacturing, distribution and other services, according to government data.

The sector employs more than 40 per cent of the total population and over 70 per cent of rural Kenyans.

Yet agriculture remains highly vulnerable to climate variability. In 2023 and 2024, prolonged drought left an estimated 4.4 million Kenyans facing acute food insecurity at its peak, according to the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).

Although recent rains have improved conditions in some regions, erratic weather patterns continue to threaten production.

Speaking during the credential presentation, Mudavadi said agriculture remains central to the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritises food security, value chain development and farmer incomes.

“FAO is a key partner in supporting Kenya’s efforts to transform its agrifood systems and build resilience against climate change,” he said, adding that the government is keen to deepen collaboration in areas such as digital farmer registration, land governance and sustainable production.

Zimudzi said her focus will be on strengthening food systems, improving farmer access to services and supporting evidence-based policymaking.

“My appointment comes at a time when Kenya is implementing ambitious reforms in the agricultural sector. FAO remains committed to working closely with both national and county governments to advance food security, sustainable livelihoods and inclusive rural development,” she said.

FAO has been supporting initiatives such as the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (KIAMIS), a digital platform aimed at registering farmers to improve targeting of subsidies and extension services.

The UN agency has also partnered with the government on the Digital Land Governance Programme, which seeks to streamline land records and enhance tenure security, a longstanding challenge affecting agricultural productivity.

Zimudzi, who was appointed by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu effective January 11, 2026, brings more than three decades of experience in agriculture, aquaculture and rural development across Africa.

A Zimbabwean national, she takes over from Tipo Nyabenyi, who had been serving as FAO Representative to Kenya in an ad interim capacity. Zimudzi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences and a Master of Science in Aquaculture.

Before her posting to Kenya, she served as FAO Representative in Namibia from December 2017 to August 2022. She later moved to Ethiopia, where she assumed the role of FAO Representative in October 2022.

In September 2023, following the departure of the former FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, she was appointed to serve concurrently as FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and FAO Representative to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on an interim basis.