Ugali and Chapati, made from maize and wheat flour respectively, make up the most popular sources of carbohydrates in Kenyan homes. Since 2012, the Kenyan government has made it mandatory for millers to fortify these two products with vitamins and other micronutrient minerals in a bid to fight micronutrient deficiency.
Micronutrient deficiency is a public health problem in Africa that leads to growth retardation, morbidity, mortality, brain damage, and reduced cognitive and working capacities among children and adults. In West Africa, 19 million children under 5 years old — almost one-third of this population — are stunted, nearly half of all women of reproductive age have anemia, and 47% of children aged 6–59 months have vitamin A deficiency.
So far 29 African countries have made food fortification mandatory. In Kenya, this has resulted in an increase in maize flour fortified with three mandated micronutrients — from 51% in 2018 to 70% in 2022. But experts believe this is only the first step as compliance by food manufacturers remains a huge challenge.
About the author
Anthony Langat
Anthony Langat is a Kenya-based Devex Contributing Reporter whose work centers on environment, climate change, health, and security. He was part of an International Consortium of Investigative Journalism’s multi-award winning 2015 investigation which unearthed the World Bank’s complacence in the evictions of indigenous people across the world. He has five years’ experience in development and investigative reporting and has been published by Al Jazeera, Mongabay, Us News & World Report, Equal Times, News Deeply, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and Devex among others.
