This blog post by Marit Meijer shares her experiences during the second fieldwork period of the project “Learning from Food Provisioning Networks in City Regions of Kenya”.

From May 26^th to August 12^th, 2025 I spend 2,5 months in Kenya for the second fieldwork period of the project “Learning from Food Provisioning Networks in City Regions of Kenya”. The focus of the fieldwork was to immerse (for 2 months) in two urban food markets in Kisumu, namely Kondele Market and Kibuye Market. People who have congregated in these market places for the last 10 years shared with us the history of their careers and their perspectives on present and future developments of the food markets. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone willing to share with us their time, effort and personal stories so generously. And to those who introduced us to them. A special thanks goes out to Damarice Auma Akwanya, Moline A’chieng and Isiah Okoth.

The urban food markets in Kisumu City encompass more than just a physical place where food comes in and goes out. Even more so, these markets are not static, though they are often analyzed as such. The ‘social’ and the ‘economic’ intermingle here in (working) relationships that in some cases have existed over decades, in the self-organization of social protection (e.g. funeral proceedings, collective investments of projects) and the continuous (re)negotiation (e.g. court cases, demonstrations, dialogues and collective planning) of the market’s institutional and physical infrastructures.

I was confronted with and challenged in my Western world views in more ways than one during the fieldwork period. And because I do not live in the context I work in, I could not have done this work without the support of a large group of people who helped me understand what I could not have deciphered alone in such a short period of time.

A big thanks goes out to Paul Opiyo, dr. Frankline Otiende Awuor, prof. Oloko and other colleagues at the consortium Afrifoodlinks, prof. G. M. Onyango, dr. Wagah and Severiano Odhiambo. My research builds on the important work you have already done in the field. I was honored and excited to meet you in person after having read your articles and having used some of the insights as inspiration for lectures here at Wageningen University & Research. Your work has inspired not only me, but other academics and students way beyond Maseno University and JOOUST, and way beyond Kisumu County.

Paul! Many thanks for linking me up with an absolute trooper of a co-researcher. Candy Oloo, your support has been indispensable from the first day I returned to Kisumu City. Not only are you an amazing, reliable and supportive human being. Your (academic and cultural) background, previous work experience, social and language skills and most importantly, your ability to (re)strategize on the spot, have proven invaluable in a context that is challenging, dynamic and inspiring. You are a researcher at heart and I am excited to see where you’re headed next, be it working with me (I hope so) or someone else!

A big thanks also goes out to dr. Catherine Kilelu (African Centre of Technology Studies), dr. Ogello (African Food Fellowship; Maseno University) and Brenda Mareri (African Food Fellowship), for linking us up. To dr. Ombok, and the members of the Ethics Committee at Maseno University. Our inspiring discussions, your feedback and advise have all helped me improve my research and my research protocol. Invaluable in the process were, of course, also my supervisors dr. Jessica Duncan, dr. ir. Marion Herens, and dr. ir. Sietze Vellema. Keep challenging me, it is working a treat and I am lucky to be part of such a wonderful team.

To Hon. Kenneth O. Onyango, thank you for welcoming us and the research project so heartily in your beautiful county. And Erick Oghado, for your thought-provoking conversations over tea, for kindly lending me your office space from time to time, and most importantly, for connecting me with experts who could provide me with the policy perspective on things. Lastly, a big thanks to the City Management Board for kindly receiving me, and to John Sandé for providing me with new insights about the current developments of the Market Regulation Policy and the Market Management Bill.

How these policies emerge and take shape in the upcoming months will be the topic of the final fieldwork period that will take place early next year. We are interested in learning more about how such policies emerge and respond to existing forms of self-governed food provisioning in urban food markets.

I look forward to what comes next!