The Impact of Urban-Rural Linkages on Migrants’ Urban and Rural Households’ Food Security in Kenya: A Study of Internal Migrants in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements

This study assesses the impact of urban-rural linkages on migrants’ urban and rural households’ food security in Kenya, with a specific reference on household-level cash and food remittances, and on migrants living in urban informal settlements due to their low-income level and elevated food insecurity. The research objectives of the project include: (1) To establish the migration history and drivers of rural-to-urban migration among internal migrants in Nairobi’s informal settlements; (2) To determine the nature and extent of the migrants’ urban-rural linkages with a specific focus on cash and food remittances; (3) To examine the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on cash and food remittances between the migrants’ urban and rural households; (4) To assess the impact of cash and food remittances on the migrants’ urban and rural households’ food security; and (5) To analyse the gendered dynamics of urban-rural linkages and their implications on the households’ food security. The study will be conducted in three informal settlements that border each other including Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Mukuru Kwa Reuben (in Embakasi sub-location) and Viwandani (in Makadara sub-location). The study employs a mixed method approach that combines a quantitative survey, in-depth interviews, migrant life histories, and focus group discussions.