Ugali vs chapati: Which one wins the economic contest?

Benson Matee with a pile of chapatis he made for sale at his stall in Mukuru kwa Reuben, slums in Nairobi on July 15, 2021. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

The price of maize flour is higher than that of wheat flour in the supermarkets. I asked one attendant why and the answer was "I don't know".

This is a common answer from youngsters even in lecture halls. Who can explain this phenomenon in the age of internet or information? When I asked a 'Luopean' why their houses are square in the rural areas, I got the same blank response.

We would expect wheat flour from which chapati - a word of Indian origin - comes to be more expensive. It is food for the affluent, we were made to believe while growing up. We only ate chapati around Christmas time and in small quantities.

Why is maize flour more expensive? It is economics and common sense at work. The fact that more Kenyans eat ugali than chapati raises the demand for maize flour and price by extension.

Why can't the hustlers buy the cheaper wheat flour? The consumers are smart. Ugali is easy to make; simply add flour to boiling water. Chapati is more ceremonious. You have to knead the dough which takes a lot of time.

But the real catch is that you need expensive cooking oil to prepare chapati. The chapati may be tasty but its cumulative cost goes beyond the maize flour.

Cheapness is not the only attraction to food. You must consider our cultures. Certain foods are preferred by certain communities including ugali, mukimo, kimanga, matoke, mushenye and muthokoi, among others.

It's hard to make adults switch. The new entrants into the Kenya market were quick to learn that fact. Today, ugali is found in unusual places like Java. Boiled maize and nduma (arrow roots) are in five-star hotels. Why has roasted maize not made it to the high table?

Finding traditional foods in affluent suburbs is not unusual, a demonstration of our attachment to our traditions and food. That is a global phenomenon.

Media blitz and globalisation have toned this attachment, making us believe certain foods are universal and a sign of modernity.

I heard one county official complaining that his county is not sophisticated enough because there is no fast-food outlet - to be specific KFC - the same one we rallied against when they reported they import potatoes.

The food industry has another unique problem; there are few innovations. Ugali remains ugali, injera or hamburger too. This ensures the popularity of these foods never fades.

For now, it seems the contest between ugali and chapatis is a draw. Even subsidies could not get us a winner. This is a clear indicator that our culture and habits often defy the laws of economics.

What do you prefer; chapati or ugali? Why? Talk to us.