ABSTRACT The analysis of food insecurity and coping strategies of rural people during food insecurity in Endebess division , Tranzoia district was examined between May and October 2012. The ultimate objectives ofthe study were to: (i) Examine the causes of food shortages in rural households of Endebess division (ii) document the coping strategies of the people during food shot1ages; (iii) to examine people's opinions on the mitigation of food shortage in their area. The data were collected using questionnaires that were administered to respondents. Questionnaires covered the social economic and demographic characteristics of respondents and all the objectives of the study. The sample size of the study constituted 30 households represented by their heads. Besides the respondents, Focus Group Discussions were conducted for both men and women. The researcher also interviewed key members of the community, for example local leaders, community based development workers, and cultural leaders among others. Data were analyzed using statistical package for the social scientists (SPSS) and a chi-square test was done to test the factors responsible for the prevalence of food insecurity in the area. It was found out that many people in the Division are food insecure with over 45% of the respondents reportedly having suffered from food insecurity as a result of poverty, sale of food to meet human basic needs, inadequate labor, unreliable rainfall and poor health. However, farmers have always coped with food insecurity by employing strategies like buying and borrowing food during periods of food shortages, engaging in casual labors, selling local brew and food ratio reduction among others. There is therefore need for the government to modernize agriculture, improve prices for agricultural products, promote universal secondary education and diversify agriculture in order to alleviate food insecurity in this area.
