1

The Indigenous Seed and Food Culture

Harvest Fair
(Investing in diverse indigenous seeds and foods for healthier future).

Introduction
Kenya held its first Indigenous Seeds and Food Culture Harvest Fair at the National Museums of
Kenya (Nairobi) on the 12th,13th, and 14th of October 2022. The key objective of the event was
to promote indigenous seeds and traditional food culture in Kenya. The event's key highlights
were; the exhibition of Indigenous seeds and traditional foods and dishes and the panelists'
discussions on various topics around Indigenous seeds and food (1,2).
The event was organized by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) association
in collaboration with; the National Museum of Kenya (NMK), Biodiversity and Biosafety (BIBA),
Inter-Sectoral Forum on Agroecology and Agro biodiversity (ISFAA), Africa Biodiversity Network
(ABN), HIVOs, Seed Savers Network (SSN) and Heinrich Boll Foundation (HBF). Farmers across the
country were invited to display traditional seeds, and nine communities’ representatives were
also invited to cook and display foods at the venue. Many schools, agricultural training
institutions, government institutions and leaders, local media and bloggers and traditional food
enthusiasts attended the fair.
The fair's theme attracted unusual attention as Kenya, early in the same month, had lifted a 10-
year ban on the cultivation and importation of GMO crops, which were seen as a threat to local
seed varieties. With support from the Alliance of Biodiversity International and CIAT, Kenya
Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (KENRIK) section at NMK documented 32 traditional
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food recipes presented by the nine participating communities and also collected samples of
traditional seeds for seed bulking and educational purposes. This paper presents the results of
our documentation work on the event. It also highlights the significance of such gastronomic
events in promoting the use of underutilized wild edible foods for a healthier diet and better
nutrition.

Methodology
Two representatives from each of the nine community groups were invited to cook and showcase
their traditional foods (Table 1). This group's representatives were from different ethnic
backgrounds, including the Kamba, Busia, Teso, Maragoli, Marachi, Mbeere, Giriama, Tharaka, and
Borana. Various organizations sponsored these groups to attend the event. The foods were
prepared using traditional techniques, served in traditional utensils, and later displayed and sold
to event attendees in stands set up at the event. The exhibitors presented their prepared foods,
traditional utensils, and seeds. Two judges assessed the seed exhibition, two other judges
assessed foods on display for awarding based. We documented the traditional recipes and
exhibited items in videos, images, and interviews.

Table 1; list of groups participating in the cooking exhibition

County Ethnic Name of community group

group
1 Kilifi- Giriama Utamaduni Conservation Group
2 Kitui- Kamba Kyanika women Group
3 Marsabit- Borana Borolle women Group
4 Mbeere Kagirimu African Culture Preservers
5 Busia Teso Anyuong'women Group
6 Busia Busia Jitegemee Women Group
7 Vihiga Maragoli Jitahidi women Group
8 Vihiga Marachi Bio-Gardening Innovations (BIOGI)
9 Embu Tharaka Strategies for Agro-Pastoralists
Development (SAPAD)

Outcome
 29 Community based organizations and 2 government institutions participated in the
Indigenous seed exhibition. The 29 CBOs were assessed and top 5 exhibitors
awarded.
 JIDIAC group from Kiambu county was awarded as the best traditional seed exhibitor,
VERMA from Busia County was awarded third and Strategies for agropastoral
development SAPAD from Tharaka Nithi county came third.
 9 groups selected from 9 ethnic groups participated in the traditional food exhibition.
The top 3 cooking exhibitors were awarded at the event.
 Jitahidi farmers women group from Vihiga county came first in the food exhibition,
Anyuon Iteso Cultural Dancers.from Busia County came second and Kagirimu African
cultural preservers embu County third
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 Kenya resource center for indigenous knowledge (KENRIK) team documented 32

traditional food recipes presented and collected 105 seed samples for seed bulking
and education purposes.
 Porridge and ugali were prepared from various ingredients such as Sorghum, millet,
cassava, etc., not only the conventional maize.
 Wild edible foods significantly contribute to the community’s food and nutrition
security. recipes were shown in ANNEX 1, and photos
 Traditional foods are surrounded by a rich cultural heritage that encompasses
ceremony, artifacts, and varied belief systems.
 Traditional food recipes are based on what is found within the community's reach.
 Each community is endowed with unique seed and food preservation systems.
 Various traditional foods are associated with a wide range of therapeutic utilities.
 Value of traditional foods is majorly based on medicinal and nutritional utility attached
 It was observed that most women in the various communities used fermented milk and
other milk products as additives in their green vegetables to make them more nutritious
and tastier.
 Milk products and groundnuts paste could be added to improve the palatability of some
of the bitter vegetables like the spiderplant and crotalaria.

Discussion
Experiences and lessons learned from the results.

 WEFs contribute significantly to diet diversification.

 Traditional foods are surrounded by a rich cultural heritage that encompasses ceremony,
artifacts, and varied belief systems.
 The traditional food recipes offer a delicious and nutritious food option. Traditional
cooking and preservation methods give tastiness.
 Incentive is a key component in the gastronomic event to promote WEF.
 Women are key custodians of rich and diverse knowledge of traditional food systems
(knowledge of the use of WEF, traditional foods and seeds preservation methods).
 CBOs and women groups play a key role in intergeneration traditional knowledge
transfer.
 Local seed preservation methods play a significant role in the preservation of genetic
resources.
 The support needed could be in the form of bulking, documentation, e.g., of varieties
and recipes, marketing, value addition of local foods, and food fairs (gastronomy).
 The team wishes to echo most farmers who said we should correct the widely
disseminated falsehood that indigenous seeds are inferior to hybrid seeds. The
overall benefits from local seeds in terms of environmental sustainability, inputs,
taste, health, nutrition, culture etc., are immense and cannot be monetized. The
farmers need support to conserve and sustain their seeds and publicize their value to
build a healthier populace if incorporated into our daily lives.
 The promotion of indigenous seeds and foods will considerably increase the
biodiversity of farms and markets.
 Traditional foods have a wide range of nutrient-dense varieties of fruits, vegetables,
nuts, roots and tubers, pulses, grains and food trees that hold significant potential for
improving diets and nutrition.
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 Indigenous seeds represent culture, a people's way of life, and centuries of

knowledge about conserving, changing, planting, and guiding it to fruitful expression.

Highlight future challenges

 Current food systems produce large quantities of food, but not enough of the required
nutrient-rich, plant-based foods needed for healthier and sustainable diets (Siegel et al.
2014; Willett et al. 2019).
 Domination of wheat, rice, and maize at the expense of alternative staples such as
sorghum, millets, rye, cassava, sweet potato, and yam.
 Domination of exotic vegetables like kale, cabbage and spinach.
 Loss of traditional food system knowledge (seeds and foods preservation, food
preparation methods).

Ppossible activities and directions:

 Food fair events as a way of encouraging exchange of food culture.

 Review of seed policy and regulations to enable farmers to legally share seeds.
 Empower women groups and CBOs to preserve local genetic resource and encourage
intergeneration traditional knowledge transfer
 Documentation of wild edible food diversity and food recipes as an approach of
promoting their utilization.
 We need to explore the ways of disseminating knowledge on wild edible foods on online
platforms to target youth and online audience.
 Empower communities to document their food way.
 Scientific evidence to support food safety and nutritional value of wild edible foods.
 Food-based dietary guideline including WEF.
 Additional market value as a way of promoting WEF.
 Domestication of wild edible food plants (e.g. fruit trees

Ttechnologies considered necessary, initiatives, new partners, etc.

 Documentation technologies
 Value addition technologies (e.g. fruit drying by kyanika,)

Suggest how lessons learned can be applied.

 Incentives as a way of promoting WEF.

 Youth inclusion in documentation of foodway to prevent loss.
 Encourage local seeds conservation methods.

References.
1. Ratemo, B. (2022, October 6). The indigenous seed and Food Culture Harvest Fair .
Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Association. Retrieved January 27,
2023, from https://www.pelumkenya.net/2022/10/the-indigenous-seed-and-food-culture-
harvest-fair-19177.html
2. TLC PRO (2022, October 12). 1st Indigenous Seeds and Food Culture Harvest Fair. YouTube.
Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4suUFcJ3Ds
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3. Hunter, D., Borelli, T., Beltrame, D. M., Oliveira, C. N., Coradin, L., Wasike, V. W., ... & Tartanac, F.
(2019). The potential of neglected and underutilized species for improving diets and nutrition.
Planta, 250, 709-729.
4. TLC PRO (2022, October 14). 1st Indigenous Seeds and Food Culture Harvest Fair .
Www.youtube.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from
https://m.youtube.com/live/zIkBvUDK9AQ?feature=share
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ANNEX 1: Food recipes exhibited in NMK in Oct. 2022

Food recipies demonstrated in NMK event, in Oct 2022.

Category Recipe details Significances3)
Local names
of (Situations, accompaniments and
(name of community) Ingredients2) Cooking procedure
recipies 1) traditional belief)
Beverages Kyai Cha Muti (Kamba) ・Dried Mukanu leaves, 1. Add water to a sufuria (cooking ・Household beverage
(Zanthoxylum pot), add Musemei powder and dried ・Can be served with tea, Mandazi,
chalybeum) Mukanu leaves. Yam,Cassava or Arrrowroot.
・Musemei powder 2. Once boiled, add milk and sugar,
(Pounded bark of Acacia stir it and bring to boil till the tea is
tortilis) colored brown.
・Sugar, Milk, and Water
Beverages Kinaa kya Muamba ・Baobab seed powder 1. Mix the two (seed and pulp) ・An alternative meal for breakfast.
(Kamba) (the seeds being crushed powder till well combined, mix with ・Provide strength throughout the day.
into a slightly course either milk or water ・Rich in iron, phosphorus, magnesium and
texture and sifted using 2. Add sweetener to make smooth calcium.
Kinu na Ndii (Mortar and consistency.
pestle))
・Baobab pulp powder
(the pulp being crushed
and sifted to produce a
fine powder)
・Water or milk
・Sweeteners such as sugar
or honey
Staple Musandi (Mbeere) ・Cowpeas 1. Soak and boil the cereals till ensure ・No accompaniment.
foods ・Sorghum they are mashable. ・Highly nutritious; sorghum provides calcium
・Tomatoes and Onions as 2. Fry onion with oil, add tomatoes to and iron- blood booster.
condiments fry to let them wilt and add salt ・An appetite enhancer and easily digestible.
・Oil and Salt as needed 3. Mix the two mixtures to fry them
and mash?
Bevarages Ucuru wa uthithi ・Tamarind paste (being 1. Mix boiled water and a smooth ・Household beverage
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(Mbeere) soaked in warm water, mixture of flour and water and stir till ・Tamarind is an appetizer and used as a
resulting paste removing it produces bubbles and some sweetener and tangy flavouring.
fibers and seeds) fragrance.
・Finger millet flour 2. Add the tamarind paste and some
・Millet flour sugar and stir.
・Sugar
Spices Msherekha/Munyu ・Solar dried banana peels 1. On an iron sheet on fire burn the ・Used as a natural salt, tenderizer for meat or
(Vihiga) ・Water peels till they become ash. remover of bitterness.
2. Boil ash in water then let it sit - the ・Used for healing heartburn, hurting ulcer or
ash settles at the bottom and the hurting stomach/diarrhea.
clear water produced is called
Msherekha or Munyu.
3. Place it in a distiller and the munyu
is ready for use
Vegetable Mtere (Vihiga) ・Slender leaf (Mitoo) 1. Place washed vegetables into water • Accompanied by a meal of choice like ugali.
s ・Cowpea plant (Mkunde) and let boil till soft • Used for baby food because it is easy to
・Msherekha as a 2. Add Msherekha and wait until swallow.
tenderizer and seasoning wilted- this can take up to 30 mins. •Reduces bloating, provides protein and the
(Ash solutions) same vitamins as spinach.
・Msherekha is used for removing the bitter
taste of mitoo and adding salty taste.
Vegetable Vwova (Vihiga) ・Dried mushrooms 1. Soak dried muchrooms in water ・Serve with ugali/rice with traditional
s ・Oil and salt and repeat this process 3 times. vegetables.
・Tomatoes and Onions. 2. Fry with onions and tomatoes and ・Provides proteins like meat, natural fats.
・Msherekha (optional / keep stirring and tasting to ensure the (clearly wrong belief...)
traditionally used) mushrooms are no longer chewy. ・Where meat would harm with parasites
found in animal's blood, mushrooms don't
have this issue.
Bevarages Uji ya Imbudwe ・Finger millet flour 1. Mix boiled water with a smooth ・Take as is or accompany it with an item of
(Marachi) (Ovure), mixture of water and four and stir choice.
・Sorghum flour (Mavere), constantly
・Soya Bean flour 2. Once bubbles are formed and a
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・White amaranth flour fragrance emitted, the porridge is

(Lidodo), ready to consume
・Cassava flour (Miogo),
・Fermented milk (Mavere
malulu)
NON SUGAR!?
Proteins Mranda (Marachi) ・Dried beef meat 1. Wash and soak dried meat in warm ・Msherekha is used to tenderise and salt
・Pounded peanuts water 3 times meat.
・Fermented milk 2. Boil the sorked meat with water ・Cook the meat whole and it is only cut upon
・Tomatoes and Onions and Msherekha (cover the pot.) serving.
・Msherekha 3. Put in the onions and tomatoes and ・This meal is filling and keeps one’s energy
let them cook until wilted. up all day.
4. Add a smooth mixture of milk and
groundnut into the meat, mix gently -
cover and let cook till there is little to
no sauce left.
Vegetable Mboga za Otwa ・Sutaa, 1. Wash and boil vegetables. ・Adviced that one cannot eat too much of
s (Marachi) ・Amaranth leaves, 2. Once wilted and soft, add this, they say one spoonful is enough.
・Fermented leaves, fermented milk and continue to boil. ・Believed to eradicate constipation and pains
・Fresh milk 3. After the sauce has dried up, add in the knee joints due to the bitter taste,
NO salt!? fresh milk and let cook. make one dehydrated thus drinking lots of
water and help lactating mothers to produce
more milk.
Vegetable Ekidomoreche (Busia) ・Cowpea leaves (mkunde), 1. Put the washed vegetables in ・Accompanied with ugali of choice.
s ・Sarat, boiling water (with a bit of salt) and ・The hurt area binds up easily/quickly
・Black jack leaves let them cook for 30minuites with because of the black jack leaves.
(chimboga), covering the pot. ・Heals hurting ulcers, diarrhea effects.
・Tomatoes and onions 2. Fry onions and tomatoes with oil ・Provides strength to the body, allowing one
・Fermented milk, then add boiled vegetables. to work for long periods of time without
・Pounded groundnuts 3. Add the mixture of fermented milk joint/knee pains.
・Oil and Salt and pounded groundnuts to cooked
vegetables and stir then cover till the
stew has dried up.

Proteins Akiri Nakaunom - ・Msherekha (lye)
Elumuchi (Busia) ・Elumuch (Dried beef,
dried through being
placed on a source of fire.)
・Pounded groundnuts
・Fermented milk
・Tomatoes and Onions
・Salt as needed
Proteins Panya buku (giant Unobserved at the event.
forest/cave rat) (Busia) (the community set traps
for panya buku (giant
forest/cave rat))
Proteins Kunde ya Nazi (Giriama) ・Tui bubu (Coconut milky
liquid that is wrined out
from the blended mixture
of flakes of grated coconut
with a bit of water.)
・Red cowpeas
・Onions
・Salt
Staple Wali wa nazi (Giriama) ・Tui la pili (Coconut light
foods liquid that is produced
during the process of
wrining out Tui bubu
(Coconut milky liquid))
・Tui bubu (Coconut milky
liquid that is wrined out
from the blended mixture
of flakes of grated coconut
with a bit of water.)
9
1. Soak dried meat into water and boil
it for about 1 hour or more.
2. Add onions and tomatoes directly,
cover and let them wilt, add salt.
3. Add the mixture of fermented milk
and pounded groundnuts into the
cooking meat (the nuts provide any
oil needed for frying) and let the meat
cook till little to no stew is remaining.
・Once caught, it's skinned and boiled ・Accompanied with choice like ugali.
in water for 5 minutes. It is then dried ・Provides calcium and people suffering from
on a wire mesh atop fire for its arthritis would benefit from including it into
preservation. their diet.
・Cooking procedure is the same as ・The community adores the giant rat, they
Akiri Nakaunom believe it to be sweeter than chicken.
1. Wash and boil cowpeas for over an ・Accompanied with rice or chapati
hour, then drain any excess soup
2. Add salt and onions and pour the
boiled thick Tui bubu into the kunde
and mix.
1. Add the washed rice into boiling ・Accompanied with any stew of choice
Tui lapili and let cook.
2. Before the rice is fully cooked add
'Tui bubu' stirring occasionally.
3. When remaining water is little,
place a cover on the pot and add
onto it hot coals. This provides heat
on the top and bottom to let the heat
dry up any moisture in the pot.
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・Rice
・Salt
Proteins Nyirinyiri - Qoche meat ・Dried goat meat (being 1. Cut dried meat into small chunks ・The oil is used to preserve the meat for up
(Borana) done by fixing meat on a then place into a pot upon fire to 1 month.
slightly bent stick to allow without any water to let it boil using
for all the blood to drip it's own juices -cover pot.
away. The stick is then 2. Pour lots of oil into the pot with a
placed close to heat from little salt and cover, keep stirring to
a source of fire - not avoid burning.
directly.)
・Salt and Oil
1) The recipes were categorized based on its ingredients and accompaniments. 2) The wild foods are indicated as bold font. 3) All information is based on
interviews and its accuracy and evidence is not known.
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Traditional food exhibition

Breakfast meals
For breakfast, most of the participating groups served porridge to the participants. The
Mbeere group for instance prepared mburugi, a local beverage made from partially
fermented milk mixed with pearl millet flour. According to Mr. Joseph Ndwiga, an exhibitor,
herders preferred to consume mburugi in the past because of its ease of preparation and
convenience. The Abaluhya group prepared a nutritious porridge called uji wa imbundwe
made from a mixture of finger millet (obure), sorghum (mabere), soya bean, white amaranth
grain (lidodo), cassava (miogo) and fermented milk. According to Mrs. Caroline Anyona a
food exhibitor, porridge is much preferred by manual workers because it is filling.
The Akamba group prepared traditional tea called kyai kya mukanu from the dried leaves of
the mukanu tree (Zanthoxylum chalybeum) combined with the ground bark of the musemei
(Acacia nilotica) with milk. Both of these trees grow in the wild. Kyanika women group also
served Kinaa kya Muamba (baobab paste made from mixing baobab pulp powder with warm
water and some sugar for taste). This meal could be consumed any time of the day and was
in such high demand that it ran out by the second day. Bio-Gardening Innovations (BIOGI)
group from Vihiga prepared special tea from Imbasa, Mr Ferdinand Wafula a exhibitor and
panelist at the event explains that imbasa is a wild plant that likes to grow along water
courses and whose leaves are harvested dried and crushed powder used to make tea.
Mugombero (Mondia whytei) tea was also served at the stand and was said to be a good
tonic for the stomach.

Ucuru wa uthithi prepared by Kagirimu

Penina mwangagi and exhibitor from African Culture Group. The porridge is
Kyanika adult women group Kitui explaining made from Finger millet mixed with Millet
how to prepare Kinaa kya Muamba in the flour Tamarind (Uthithi) is added as a
past food fair event sweetener.
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Kyai kya muti is prepared using the dried
leaves of the Mukanu (Zanthoxylum
chalybeum) tree combined with the ground
bark of the Musemei (Acacia nilotica)
Kyanika Women Group preparing
fermented porridge (Usuu wa Kukia).
Peninnah Mwangangi (L) and Rose Syovinya
Muema during the food culture fair at the
National Museums of Kenya, 2022

Starchy foods
Ugali (stiff porridge) an everyday food, made from maize flour was a favourite meal for lunch
and supper; in many parts of Kenya. Community attendees prepared stiff porridge using
starch foods like Sorghum, millet, and root tubers like cassava. The Maragoli group prepared
ugali (vuchima vorogoli) from cassava, millet, and finger millet flours. This meal is often
cooked and served to the bride on the wedding day and is eaten early in the morning so that
she can remain full all day.
The Teso group prepared Atap ugali from cassava flour mixed with millet flour. The Atap
could be eaten with vegetables or stew.
Jitahidi women group from Vihiga prepared Musenye, prepared by mashing sweet potatoes
with beans. Mrs Mary Aoko an exhibitor at the stand explains that the food can be taken
alone or used as an accompaniment for tea. Sorghum cake was exhibited by the SAPAD
group from Embu,
The Mbeere group prepared musandi, a traditional meal made by mashing cooked cowpeas
and Sorghum. According to Ms. Yvonne Mumbi, this meal offers an opportunity to
reconsider values of traditional food as a new diet, different from the rice and chapati that
have become common in many Kenyan households.
Ngunja kutu was also presented in the Mbeere group's stand. This is a meal made by mixing
beans, cowpea leaves, and maize flour to make a stiff meal commonly taken with tea in the
morning.
The Giriama group presented cassava and sweet potatoes spiced with grated coconut. They
also prepared pilau and chapatis, which were enjoyed by the public participants.
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Uvuchima Vorogoli prepared by Msenye prepared by Jitahidi Women Group.

Jitahidi Women Group. The ugali is Msenye is prepared by mashing sweet potatoes
prepared using cassava flour mixed with beans. Can be eaten alone or as a tea
with millet accompaniment

Uvuchima vorogoli served with Mitoo vegetable.

Magomia, (Boiled bananas prepared by Jitahidi womens group
Jitahidi women group)

Sweet potatoes and cassava tubers Atap ugali made by the Jitegemee womens
prepared by the Jitahidi Women group Ateso
Group to be taken with porridge and
tea.
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Muhogo wa nazi. Cassava spices with Cake made from sorghum exhibited by Strategies for
coconut milk (Tui) prepared by the Agro-Pastralists Development (SAPAD) Embu county.
Utamaduni conservation group from
Kilifi.

Vegetable meals
A wide range of traditional vegetables was prepared and exhibited. The Iteso group
prepared a vegetable meal ekidomoroche, a mixture of cowpea leaves, spinach, and
blackjack leaves cooked with fermented milk and pounded groundnuts. The Busia group
presented mboga za otwa made from a mixture of fermented amaranth leaves and managu;
this was served with stiff porridge kakima made from cassava and millet.

Figure 1; Mixture of Murenda (Corchorus sp), amaranth, and Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) prepared by the
Maragoli group.
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Vwova (Mushroom) exhibited by Jitahidi women

Ekidomoroche vegetable meal made by
group
cooking a mixture of Cowpea leaves,
amaranth and spinach. Fermented milk
and pounded groundnuts is added to
add more flavor. Prepared by Jitegemee
Women Group

Protein foods
One of the striking beef stews exhibited was from the Iteso group in Busia County, which is
mixed with groundnut paste and fermented milk. This community believes that this meal
keeps one full of energy all day. Another highlight of indigenous meat sources from the Iteso
group was the giant forest or cave rat (panya buku), whose meat is believed to offer relief to
people with arthritis. The Iteso group also prepared mranda from dried beef, groundnut
paste, and fermented milk.
The group exhibited their meat (elumuchi) using a unique ceramic pot with a lid made of
banana leaves (apukenich kamoti kodi). The pot has a long handle to ensure that one does
not burn their hands with hot steam from the pot. Jitahidi women’s group exhibited Tsitswa
(Flying termites), according to Mrs Mary aoko an exhibitor at the stand, Tsitswa is collected
during the rainy season later and taken as a starter meal. The meal is tasty and offers and
nutritious protein food option. Borolle women Group from Marsabit exhibited Nyirnyir , the
animal protein is prepared by boiling cut pieces of goat meat which are preserved in oil.

Mranda stew prepared by the iteso group

Nyirnyiri exhibited by Borolle women Group
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(Borana)

Dried Amekelen (giant forest or cave rat).

Displayed by the Jitegemee womens group
(Ateso). The meat can be stored in this state for Tsitswa (Flying termites) exhibbited by
2 months according to Mrs Rose auma an Jitahidi farmes group from Vihiga county.
exhibitor at the stand. To get cook the meat,
the amekelen is soaked in hot water and
preferably cooked with groundnut paste and
fermented milk.

Fruit vegetable
Kyanika women group had cherry tomatoes Nziithi, which are used for cooking other
vegetables and can also be consumed. Kilifi women exhibited Mbirambi, the cucumber like
fruit vegetable was used to make a meal delicacy that was served at the event.

Nziithi tomatoes exhibited by the Kyanika Mbirimbi fruit (Averrhoa bilimbi) vegetable
womens group is used in cooking vegetable exhibited by the Utamaduni Conservation
meal group from Kilifi

Fruits
For fruits Kyanika women group had a wide selection of fruits collected from the wild, on their
exhibition stand they had Matoo (Azanza garckeana), Ndului (Balanites aegyptiaca) and Muamba
fruits (Baobab fruits), Ngolokolo (Piliostigma thonningi). The women’s groups has also started
adding value to fruits like Mango and at their stand they offered a branded pack of delicious
mango crips product from their initiative. According to Mrs Penina Mwangangi the groups
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Chairlady, the womens group is now processing Ngolokolo ( Piliostigma thonningi) to make flour
that is used in making nutritious porridge.

Mango value addition initiative by the

Kyanika women group Ngolokolo. Piliostigma thonningii fruiting
branch © james kioko in Kitui village

Food-and-culture. -Cultural- -practices-related-to traditional foods

Food not only supports our lives, but also has other diverse values. The exhibition displayed
a wide range of cultural artefacts and cooking utensil associated with traditional foods. Most
of these utensils make cooking more convenient and use locally available materials.
Some foods on exhibit were used for special cultural occasions. Food can also reveal
evolving tastes, and regional differences. It can also represent a profound connection to
history, culture, and national pride. Traditional foods are surrounded by diverse cultures,
belief systems, food processing skills, utensils, craft, and extensive food preservation and
safety knowledge.

Apukenich kamoti kodi (Pot cover made of

Tito Gourd (L. presented to the bride), Tito
banana leaves)
Gourd (R. presented to the groom). The
gourds are used for preserving fresh or
fermented milk.
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Mrs Halima Jedessa from Borrole women Mrs Beatrice Kirundu from Vihiga
group in Borana community displaying an community displaying various ceramic pots
artefact worn by the mothers during a male and utensils used in the cooking of
child's naming ceremony. traditional foods.

Solar dried indigenous vegetable exhibited

by the Jitegemee womens group (Ateso).
The dried vegetable can be stored for and
used in times of scarcity.

Traditional food preparations and recipes

Traditional food recipes are based on what is found within the community's reach. Pastoral
communities use milk, butter, and animal fat in their recipes. The Giriama community in coast
uses coconut fruit milk and pulp to add flavor to foods.
Traditional foods are cheap and nutritious and are made mostly from local organically-grown
ingredients. The foods can come in handy in providing food to financially constrained rural
households.
In Busia County, the communities use the decanted ashes (lye) of dried banana peelings as
natural salt and a meat tenderizer.
The community also uses dried banana flour to make various pastries like mandazi, chapati,
cakes, and much more. This adds economic value to essential food commodities.
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Traditional food recipes are easy to prepare and effectively avail food to local households
when needed. For example, Mrs Penina Mwangangi from the Kyanika Adult Women's group,
says roasted cassava is a simple food to prepare and a good option for pupils coming home
during lunch breaks. 'You just need fire and a hoe', she says.

Use of milk products on leafy vegetables. It was observed that most women in the various
communities used fermented milk and other milk products as additives in their green
vegetables to make them more nutritious and tastier. At times the milk products could be
added to improve the palatability of some of the bitter vegetables like the spiderplant and
crotalaria.
In times of meat abundance, women in Ateso community soak the surplus meat in salty
water, then dry it as a storage method to avail it when the food is inadequate. The meat can
later be retrieved in times of urgency or starvation and reconstituted by boiling the meat.

Jitegemee womens groups use solar dries to dry their vegetables. Food preservation
education is needed to ensure that the foods are preserved correctly and that the local
communities benefit nutritionally

Munyu mukereka (Traditional lye ) Traditional grinding stone exhibited by SAPAD

displayed by the JItahidi women group group from Tharaka
used as a food sweetener

Caroline anyona from Jitahidi womens Banana leaves used to cover cooking Cassava and
groups and an award winner at the cooking sweetpotatoes
 20

exhibition displays munyu mushereha made

from

Traditional seeds
Kenya is home to a diverse range of indigenous seeds. Traditional or indigenous seeds are
those selected and managed by local people in the community environment. For many years,
local communities have nurtured and selected seeds from crops for their subsequent
planting seasons. As custodians of both indigenous seeds and an endless seed knowledgee.
Kenyan communities’s are well deserved for the establishment of farmer-managed seed
systems that are suited to a wide range of environmental conditions.
Seed availability, vitality, accessibility, affordability, and diversity have a substantial impact on
climate resilience, women's empowerment, and food and nutrition security in communities
(TLC PRO 2022, October 14). 29 community-based organizations and 2 government
organizations participated in traditional seeds exhibitions. The seeds exhibited included a
wide range of leafy vegetables, fruit vegetable, spices, nuts, oil seed, grains, tubers /roots
and fruits seeds.

The use of local seeds and culture are inextricably linked. Indigenous seeds represent culture,
a people's way of life, and centuries of knowledge about conserving, changing, planting, and
guiding it to fruitful expression.

'With these traditional seeds, we won't borrow or wait for seed aid from the government. At
the onset of the rainy season, farmers in my community already have their seeds ready for
planting, with no delay. This ensures food security', says Evelyn Ripon of Smart initiative West
Pokot.

The advantages of indigenous seeds highlighted by farmers at the food fair are;
 traditional seeds tend to be resistant to some environmental shocks e.g. caused by
extreme weather conditions.
 they are highly diverse and often highly nutritious.
 they save money because the seed is saved and replanted;
 they reduce the need for costly inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers
 Seeds are selected, saved, exchanged and traded – and this strengthens social
relationships in agricultural communities which acts as "insurance" in bad years.
 traditional seeds are part of household assets because they may be exchanged.

Some of the concerns raised in the planery facing the seed sector in the country include.
 Cooperate control and power over seed. -Seed companies have pushed the laws all
over the world, you can’t sell seeds unless you are a registered seed producer, to be a
seed producer you need millions of dollars and resource noted Prof Kihumbu thairu,
a panelist at the event.

We are already slaves to the seed companies, when it rains all farmers meet at the agrovet to
buy seeds, the alternative system being proposed will make us the worst prisoners. Especially
 21

with the threat of patenting of seeds (GMOS) making their use difficult to use. This will
worsen the situation (Mrs Sylvia kuria, a panelist at the food fair event)

 Loss of farmer managed genetic resource and knowledge

 Unfavourable seed policies banning seed sharing

Explaining the significance of farmer managed seed systems in Kenya, Miss Wanjiru Kamau a
panellist at the event noted that the formal seed sector only controls 20% of seeds used in
the country. 80% of the seeds used for farming in Kenya are derived from smallholder
farmers.

Evelyn Ripon of Smart initiative West Pokot Traditional seeds displayed by the smart
displays her varied maize varieties during the initiative
Indigenous foods and culture event at the
National Museums of Kenya

Local seed preservation technologies;

Local farmers use technologies that utilize locally available materials to conserve seeds for
use in the next rainy season. Some effective methods for seed conservation include smoking
the maize combs by placing them over the cooking area to allow smoke. Among the
Tharaka, ash is mixed with chili pepper and store seeds in an airtight container. Gourd was
used often in the past for the container
Caroline Anyona from Jitegemee Womens groups in Busia County explains that they
preserve their seeds in gourds mixed with ash obtained from burning dried cow dung. This
method, she explains is effective in controlling storage pests like the grain borer and is
preferred to the chemical pesticide called actelic.
 22

Everlyne Ripon of Smart Initiative

demonstrating how to hang traditional
maize for drying

Mugoroke bean exhibited by seed savers Gourds used for storing seed displayed by
Strategies for agropastoral development
SAPAD group from Tharaka nithi

Community seed banks;

In Vihiga, a community seed bank was established in 2020 with the support of the Alliance of
Bioversity International and CIAT. The community seed bank is locally designed and locally
managed and helps smallholders preserve seeds and seed varieties that are most adapted to
the region. Community members make decisions about how they want to share the benefits
of local agricultural biodiversity and strengthen their seed systems. The gene bank also
provides an opportunity to share and exchange knowledge and resources with formal seed
systems such as national genebanks and the private sector.

Add photos of community seed center and

Evans

Awarding of teams
Two categories were awarded at the end of the event
a) Indigenous Seed Exhibitors
Total of 31 exhibitors participated in the indigenous seeds’ exhibition, 29 were representing
CSOs and two government institutions KEFRI and KALRO
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Five exhibitors were awarded

Criterion of awarding the seed exhibitors,

The following criterion was used to assess the 29 seed exhibitors in attendance
 How organized and appealing the stand is to the eyes of the people going round,
decoration of the stand, diversity of displayed products and items
 Innovativeness.
 Indigenous foods diversity, whether the theme of the stand was in line with what
pelum advocates (Organic farming bio intensive permaculture and also the
indigenous foods and seeds)
 Value addition
 Clarity of presentation by exhibitors
 Evidence of upscaling their practices
 Breadth of stakeholders
 How they share their information with the public
 Sustainability mechanisms especially for farmer capacity building training c

Awards for the top 5 traditional seed exhibitors

1) JIDIAC- Kiambu county
2) VERMA Busia county
3) Strategies for agropastoral development SAPAD. Tharaka Nithi county-
Demonstration
4) Sustainable agriculture and development program (SACDEP) Exhibitors from Kiambu.
5) Rural initiative development programs (RIDEP). from Tharaka county. They reach out
to farmers with well packaged information

b) Indigenous food competition

9 communities participated in the traditional food preparation and exhibition.

The following criterion was used to assess the food exhibitors

 Ingredient (Originality, Freshness and Variety of food items)
 Utensils (Traditional/Cultural)
 Food Preparation (Sorting and Washing)
 Variety of cooking methods
 Creativity of presentation (Traditional food display, Food plating and Appearance)
 Personal grooming (Personal hygiene, Traditional attire and Uniformity of the group)
 Food durability and perishability
 Food Balance (colour, texture, taste, meal balance and nutritional value)
 Food Diversity (Number of dishes prepared and variety within a dish)

The top 3 groups awarded at the event include:

1) Jitahidi farmers women group (Vihiga county)
2) Anyuon Iteso Cultural Dancers. (Busia County)
3) Kagirimu African cultural preservers (Embu County)

Conclusion
 24

Much knowledge was disseminated during the food fair, but the key concern was how this
knowledge can be effectively documented and used to educate the 'modern consumers'
because:
a. Traditional foods give us the privilege of enjoying tasty, nutritious foods with a
significant positive impact on our health and well-being.
b. Breaking monotony of our diets by increasing the variety of meals
c. Some indigenous foods have additional health benefits i.e., functional properties.
The team from KENRIK at the National Museums of Kenya documented the entire variety of
seeds exhibited and also the food preparations and presentation through videos and
photography. The team sought and gained consent from the exhibitors interviewed. It
recorded 32 indigenous food recipes and collected up to 105 local seed varieties currently
archived at the National Museums of Kenya. The intent for documenting this information
was to bring to the awareness of the Kenyan people the diversity of indigenous seeds and
foods available at the local community level. The team is imploring the media and the
society to take note of this area that is extremely important to the food and nutrition security
of the nation but often ignored. It is through such documentation, that we could educate our
society on eating healthier and more sustainable foods that are tasty and nutritious.

The team wishes echo most farmers who said that we should correct the widely disseminated
falsehood that indigenous seeds are inferior to hybrid seeds. The overall benefits from local
seeds in terms of environmental sustainability, inputs, taste, health, nutrition, culture etc. are
immense and cannot be monetized. The farmers, need support to conserve and sustain their
seeds and to publicize their value so as to build a healthier populace if incorporated into our
daily lives. The support needed could be in form of bulking, documentation e.g. of varieties
and recipes, marketing, value addition of local foods and food fairs (gastronomy). The local
communities indeed hold future food and nutrition security in their hands; the question is,
will we lie back and let these seeds disappear or join hands to make these resources
available to humanity.