This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
On November 28, 2019, the 15th Bukura Trade and Culture Exhibition was held at Kakamega Gold Hotel grounds, where a book on indigenous Western Kenya cuisines was launched.
The book, titled Chakula Chetu, captures popular foods from the region and highlights their nutritional benefits.
According to James Shikwati, director of Inter Region Economic Network (Iren), the book aims to promote food security by encouraging people to embrace indigenous foods.
“The book outlines the nutritional benefits of each of these meals with an aim of unlocking the potential of the region’s food culture by encouraging people to embrace the growing and eating of indigenous foods as a way of promoting food security,” said Shikwati.
Mr. Shikwati emphasized the importance of rural economies, stating that individuals with cash in urban areas may not necessarily have the knowledge of how to prepare indigenous dishes.
“Individuals with cash in urban areas may not necessarily have the knowledge of how to prepare indigenous dishes. This book is meant to activate a conversation between rural producers, experts and the urbanite on how to prepare best cuisines from their produce and eat healthy,” argues Shikwati.
Traditional King of the Wanga community in Kakamega County, Nabongo Maurice Wambani, was part of the team that compiled ‘Chakula Chetu’ publication authored by Iren in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.
“Lifestyle killer diseases are rampant in the society because we no longer eat traditional foodstuffs like our forefathers did,” said Wambani.
Some of the traditional delicacies featured in the book include mushroom stew (obwoba), dried termites (tsiswa), and smoked beef (shihango).
