Indigenous vegetables in Kenya

The food base for the rural population, especially in the marginal and semi-arid areas, has become narrower, leaving communities more vulnerable to food shortages and nutrient-deficiency diseases. Wild and weedy species, commonly used as vegetables in the past, are disappearing as a result of changes in customs and land use. Local knowledge about the cultivation and management of these species is on the decline as well. At the same time, producers lack knowledge of more efficient, intensive production and management techniques.There is also a lack of knowledge about nutritive value and cooking methods that minimize nutrient leaching during food preparation.

Utilization - Such plants are used in Kenyan villages as a stew to go with ugali (maize meal) or rice or as an ingredient in githeri (irio), where they are mashed with maize and beans or peas.

Indigenous vegetables are also commercialized as fresh leaves, in dried or powdered form and as enriched food flavours (e.g. weaning flour).

There is some trade in these species in both rural and urban areas in Kenya, but this is very limited. In part, this is because of the lack of public awareness of their superior nutritive quality.

However, they fetch a higher price than exotic vegetables on the urban and rural markets. This implies that they offer potential to entrepreneurs in the 'jua kali' (informal) sector.

There are other constraints to use, as listed below;

Taste - In many communities, indigenous vegetables are eaten for their bitterness, just as pepper is taken for its 'hot' taste. However, some people find this bitter taste unpleasant and reduce it by blending with other, blander vegetables such as cabbage.

Yield - Some indigenous vegetables have poor foliage yield, e.g.Crotalaria brevidens.It is therefore often difficult for the women to collect enough leaves.

Some of these poor leaf yielders have strong tastes and are used to spice food, especially exotic vegetables.

Availability - Production and consumption of indigenous vegetables is mainly confined to the rural areas, where small-scale farmers grow them in kitchen gardens or harvest them from the bush.

Production is not sufficient to fulfil even limited demand in urban areas.

Nutritional value - Many people in Kenya are undernourished, especially children being weaned and pregnant and lactating mothers, and nutrient-deficiency diseases such as night blindness, scurvy and rickets are common in rural areas and slums.

To counter these nutritional problems, it is important that the most commonly consumed foods should be nutritious. Since vegetables are consumed frequently and in large quantities, those which provide most of the required nutrients should be favoured. However, common vegetables such as cabbage are nutritionally poor on cooking compared with indigenous vegetables like Gynandropsis gynandra.

Nutritional studies have been done on the priority indigenous vegetables, including mineral analysis, effects of cooking and blanching on vitamins A and C, analysis for oxalates, and the effect of sun-drying on vitamins A and C.

where sun-dried indigenous vegetables are incorporated into porridge flour. Porridge is the most commonly used weaning food, and the addition of indigenous vegetables adds important vitamins and minerals.

Genetic erosion of leafy vegetables - Kenya has many wild and weedy species of edible leafy vegetables.

They contribute significantly to the nutritional well-being of the rural population. While a few of these species have been domesticated or are semi-domesticated, most grow as weeds or wild in virgin, disturbed and/or cultivated areas.

With increasing pressure on both wild habitats and agricultural land, due to demographic and socioeconomic changes, the ecological niches of many leafy vegetables are fast disappearing, and genetic erosion is therefore rapid.

The following are a few species of indigenous vegetables in Kenya:

1.Amaranthus spp - This genus includes several vegetable species widely distributed in Kenya, usually occurring as weeds in cultivation, and eaten by various communities. The nutritional level is good, with high levels of vitamin C, iron and proteins.

Amaranthus spp

2.Citrullus lanatus -The watermelon has wild, weedy and cultivated types reported to be growing in East and Southern Africa. It produces both edible fruits and seeds.

3.Corchorus spp - Africa is the primary centre of diversity of this genus, which occurs throughout the continent. The largest number of species is found in the eastern and southern parts, with the greatest diversity in South Africa. Thirteen species are said to be indigenous to Kenya.

4.Cucumis spp - Species differ in fruit size, shape, colour and spininess. Various species have potential uses as leafy vegetables and for their fruits.

5.Cucurbita moschata - The pumpkin has long been widely grown in Kenya and other parts of Africa for home consumption or, to a limited extent, for sale at local markets. Both the fruit and leaves are eaten in Kenya.

 Pumpkins have an advantage over other vegetables in that the fruits can be stored for up to 6 months before being consumed and can play an important role in maintenance of nutritional levels during the long dry seasons, when few fresh vegetables are available.

6.lagenaria siceraria - The bottle gourd or dodhee is widely grown in Kenya, especially in the semi-arid and arid regions. Its principal use is as a storage container for liquids, but it is sometimes eaten in the immature stage as marrow.

7.Luffa spp - Two species were collected:·

L. acutangula,which is grown by Kenyan farmers for the local and export market. The fruits are cooked and eaten as summer marrow.

L. cylindrica,which is widely grown in Kenya, usually along fences or the sides of huts. It is mainly grown to be used as a sponge for washing, but sometimes the immature fruit is eaten as a marrow. It can be crossed with L. acutangula,and has excellent resistance to powdery and downy mildews.

8.solarium nigrum - The black nightshade is known by various names by different ethnic communities in Kenya: mnavu (Kiswahili), managu (Kikuyu), kitulu (Kamba), momoi (Maasai).

It is commonly found as a weed in a cultivated fields. Two forms are easily recognized in Kenya, a densely hairy type (form B) and the more common sparsely hairy type (form A).

9.Vigna spp - Vigna unguiculata,the cowpea, is an important subsistence pulse in the drier areas. The wild/weedy species are found in various parts of the country, along the edges of fields, roadsides and in bushy areas.

The fresh young shoots and leaves and the immature pods are eaten as vegetables. It is also used as a fodder (hay), silage, pasture and green manure or cover crop.

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