A group of four innovative students from Kabarak University, led by Faith Wandia—a Master’s student in Business Administration—has devised a groundbreaking solution to tackle Kenya’s food shortage crisis. The team has developed a unique type of ugali flour made from grass, which, once approved for commercial sale, is expected to retail at just Ksh35 per kilogram.
Wandia was inspired to create this product after witnessing the devastating impact of hunger caused by prolonged droughts across the country. Her idea centered around transforming cellulose, a component found in grass, into a form of edible starch as an alternative to traditional maize flour. In 2020, she brought together a multidisciplinary team to bring her vision to life: Innocent Bahati (Clinical Medicine), Salome Njeri (Economics), and Edgar Ruto (Computer Science).
The team uses Bermuda and Ryegrass—both of which mature in two to three months—as the raw material. After harvesting, the grass is dried and ground into a fine powder. This powder is then subjected to a scientific conversion process, where water and specific enzymes are added to break down the cellulose into amylose—a starch similar to that found in maize. The end product resembles maize flour in color, texture, and even smell, making it a promising substitute for traditional ugali flour.
The projected retail price of Ksh35 per kilo is based on a production cost of Ksh23 per kilogram, plus additional operational expenses. The team has already submitted a patent application to the Kenya Industrial Property Institute. However, the product is still pending review by medical experts and regulatory approval from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
If fully validated and approved, this innovation could offer a sustainable, low-cost alternative to maize flour, especially in regions hardest hit by food scarcity and rising living costs. It marks a significant step toward ensuring food security in Kenya through science and ingenuity.
