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.
