Malnutrition remains a major threat to child survival, growth and development in Kenya. To
mitigate this threat, cassava, a crop that was initially seen as a poor man’s crop, has received
intensive promotion in East Africa, Kenya included. The current study was part of a larger
intervention project known as the Eastern Africa Agricultural Productivity Project(EAAPP)
which together with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO),
was undertaken to promote research in cassava as well as ensure increased production and
utilization of cassava in different parts of Kenya, particularly Western and Coastal regions. The
main objective of this study was to establish the contribution of cassava to nutrition of children
2-5 years and their primary care givers in coastal Kenya.
The study was a cross-sectional survey carried out in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale Counties.
Multi-stage sampling was used, where 20 villages were selected in the region, in which a total of
220 households were randomly selected. Data was collected on household demographic
characteristics, cassava production and consumption, dietary diversity of 2-5 years old children,
their morbidity experiences and anthropometric measurements which included weight, height
and the mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) were taken and the age of each child recorded.
Eight samples from two cassava varieties were collected from KALRO Mtwapa for laboratory
analysis to determine the effects of boiling on cyanide and protein content. A semi-structured
questionnaire, food frequency questionnaire and dietary diversity questionnaire were the main
tools used to collect the data. Results were analyzed using the statistical package for social
scientists (SPSS), Nutri-survey and ENA for SMART softwares