Kenyans have spent the weekend debating an unusual proposal from the Ministry of Trade and Industry: ugali that tastes of strawberry or vanilla.

Industry Principal Secretary Juma Mukwana put the idea to maize millers on Saturday, October 31, during the Kenya Millers Fortification Index Awards, urging the industry to rethink the country's best-loved staple if it hopes to sell it beyond East Africa.

A 'standalone' ugali for foreign shelves

Mukwana argued that a fast-growing population and changing eating habits mean millers can no longer rely only on plain maize flour. He asked the industry how it planned to "feed 70 million in 2050", in reference to population projections, and said Kenya needs products that can compete in new markets.

"We want ugali that is standalone," the PS said, suggesting that a flavoured, ready-to-eat version might be what persuades consumers abroad to try the dish. According to reports of the event, he floated strawberry and vanilla as possible flavours.

The proposal is only a challenge to the industry. No product has been developed, and millers would still have to test recipes, costs and consumer appetite before committing any production line.

Millers say: fix grain reserves first

Cereals Millers Association of Kenya chairman Beju Shah said the industry was willing to look into the idea. "So yes, we take that challenge as entrepreneurs within the industry and let's see where it goes," he said.

He was, however, quick to point to a more pressing problem: the supply of maize itself. Shah urged the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to hold enough stocks so that millers can buy local grain whenever there is a shortage.

The call comes at a difficult time for the sector. Poor harvests have depleted local supplies, and the government is planning to import up to 25 million 90-kilogramme bags of maize, with Tanzania and other regional markets expected to fill much of the gap.

Mixed reactions online

The idea quickly spread on social media, where reactions ranged from amusement to disbelief. Some users joked about what a pink, strawberry-flavoured ugali would taste like with sukuma wiki, beef stew or fried fish, while others questioned whether sweet flavours belong in a dish that is usually eaten with savoury food.

A number of Kenyans said they first assumed the story was satire, while others argued that a flavoured product could still find buyers in diaspora and foreign markets even if it failed to catch on at home.

For millers, the bigger question for now remains whether there will be enough affordable maize on the market in the coming months, as households continue to grapple with high food prices.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke (maize flour shelves); PSCU/Kenyans.co.ke (Juma Mukwana). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.