‎Nakuru Agricultural Training Centre (NATC) has introduced Shamba Mjini, a practical kitchen garden demonstration initiative aimed at promoting urban and peri-urban farming among households with limited land and water.

‎The initiative seeks to equip residents with practical skills on how they can grow vegetables and other food crops within small spaces, including backyards, balconies and other available areas. This comes as urban households increasingly explore farming as a way of improving access to fresh food while also creating opportunities to reduce household food expenses and generate income.

‎According to NATC Principal James Waweru, the centre introduced Shamba Mjini to demonstrate that lack of adequate land should not prevent households from engaging in food production. He notes that the initiative is designed to give farmers practical solutions that can be adopted depending on the space, resources and needs available to individual households.

Some of the technologies at the Shamba Mjini demonstration center.

Photo credit: Muthoni Wanjiku/ Mtaa Wangu

‎Waweru says the centre is focusing on technologies that are simple, affordable and easy for farmers to replicate at home. He explains that through the demonstration unit, visitors and trainees will be able to see how different kitchen garden technologies work rather than relying on theoretical lessons alone.

‎"Among the technologies being demonstrated are multi-storey and vertical gardens, which make use of vertical space and are suitable for growing vegetables such as kale, spinach, lettuce and herbs. In addition, the centre is showcasing conical gardens, sack gardens, tyre gardens, hanging gardens, staircase gardens and micro gardens, providing households with several options for producing food in confined spaces," he says.

‎At the same time, he notes that Shamba Mjini places emphasis on efficient water use, particularly for households facing water constraints. Moisture or wicking beds, simple drip irrigation, bottle irrigation and mulching are among the technologies being demonstrated to help farmers conserve water and maintain soil moisture.

Farmers who attended the Nakuru field day learning at the Shamba Mjini demonstration center.

Photo credit: Muthoni Wanjiku/ Mtaa Wangu

‎"The initiative also incorporates recycling, with old tyres, plastic containers, bottles and other locally available materials being converted into planting containers. Consequently, households can reduce waste while creating inexpensive structures for growing vegetables," Waweru highlights.

‎NATC is also demonstrating integrated technologies, including aquaponics, which combines fish production with vegetable growing. The centre’s approach further links kitchen gardening with composting, poultry manure and nutrition education, enabling households to view farming as part of a broader food and income system.

‎Waweru says the centre hopes the demonstration unit will encourage more urban and peri-urban households to embrace food production using locally available resources adding that NATC will continue providing practical training and technologies that can help farmers produce more food, use less space and water, improve household nutrition and potentially earn additional income.

How Shamba Mjini is being utilized to promote urban and peri-urban farming

Author Spotlight

Muthoni Wanjiku