Kenya, July 14 -- In an unprecedented move, a high school in Kisii County has revolutionised meal preparation by using a power drill to cook ugali, Kenya's beloved maize flour staple, abandoning the traditional mwiko (wooden cooking stick).
The innovative technique, which has gone viral on social media, has drawn both admiration and doubt from netizens and local communities. Students at the school, where the method was first showcased, reportedly enjoyed faster meal prep times, with the drill-mixed ugali cooked in under five minutes.
This unconventional approach, dubbed "power drill ugali cooking", has ignited discussions about modernising traditional Kenyan cooking practices while raising questions about safety and cultural preservation.
The initiative, introduced by the school's catering team, uses a cordless power drill fitted with a custom mixing attachment to stir maize flour and water in large sufurias (cooking pots) over a gas stove.
A video circulating on social media shows a staff member operating the drill, blending the mixture into a smooth, lump-free consistency far quicker than the labour-intensive mwiko method.
According to the school's head caterer, Jane Nyabuto, the technique was inspired by a desire to streamline meal preparation for over 800 students. "We needed a way to save time and energy while ensuring the ugali is well-cooked. The power drill does the job efficiently," Nyabuto said.
The method has reduced cooking time from 15-20 minutes to under five, allowing the kitchen staff to focus on preparing accompaniments like sukuma wiki (kale) and beef stew.
This innovation aligns with broader efforts to modernise school kitchens in Kenya, where institutions like Food4Education have introduced tech-enabled solutions to feed thousands daily.
However, the power drill method has sparked a polarised debate. Supporters praise the ingenuity, with one user posting, "Kisii High School's power drill ugali cooking is next-level! Time to rethink how we make our staple food."
Others, however, argue it undermines the cultural significance of ugali, a UNESCO-recognised Intangible Cultural Heritage dish since 2017.
A critic commented, "Using a power drill for ugali feels like turning our tradition into a construction project. Where's the mwiko's soul?" Some netizens also raised safety concerns, questioning whether the drill's materials are food-safe and if the high-speed mixing affects the ugali's texture or taste.
The Kisii school's approach draws parallels to earlier innovations, like a Kakamega engineer's 2021 electric ugali mixer that cooked the dish in three minutes.
Unlike that machine, which faced criticism for producing a mashed potato-like texture, the Kisii method reportedly yields a firm, traditional ugali suitable for pairing with stews.
The school's administration insists that the drill is sanitised thoroughly and the attachment is made from stainless steel to meet food safety standards.
This aligns with efforts in Uganda, where schools have adopted improved cookstoves (IICS) to enhance efficiency and reduce health risks from traditional cooking methods.
The viral video has fuelled interest in "innovative Kenyan school cooking" and "modern ugali preparation", with searches for these terms spiking online.
The technique also reflects a growing trend of integrating technology into African culinary practices, as seen in Nairobi's Giga Kitchen, which uses steam-powered cookers to produce 60,000 meals daily for students. I
In Kisii, the power drill method has not only cut costs, saving on labour and fuel, but also sparked curiosity among other schools in the region.
Nyamira Boys High School, for instance, recently made headlines for treating top-performing students to ugali and chicken at a hotel, highlighting the cultural centrality of the dish.
Critics, however, warn that such innovations could alienate younger generations from traditional cooking skills.
A 2018 blog post by a Kisii native emphasised the importance of learning to cook ugali with a mwiko, recounting how her father taught her the "art" to achieve the perfect texture and aroma.
Social media reactions echo this sentiment, with one local stating, "Power drills for ugali? Next, we'll have robots making chapati. Let's not lose our roots."
As the Kisii High School continues to refine its approach, education officials are monitoring the experiment. The Ministry of Education is yet to give details on how such innovations can scale to other schools while ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.
For now, the power drill ugali cooking method remains a bold testament to Kenyan ingenuity, blending tradition with technology in a way that has captured the nation's attention and sparked a lively debate about the future of its culinary heritage.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.