Wamuzi News Ke
Nairobi’s Million Chapati Dream: Jua Kali Innovator Says It’s Possible with 2,000 Machines
Fulfilling President William Ruto’s ambitious pledge of producing one million chapatis daily for Nairobi County students would require 2,333 chapati-making machines, according to Jua Kali innovator Edwin Mwendo.
During his visit to St Teresa Girls Secondary School in Mathare, Ruto vowed to support Governor Johnson Sakaja’s Dishi na County program by funding a machine capable of churning out a million chapatis each day. Mwendo, a local entrepreneur, believes his invention is the key to making this a reality.
His automated chapati-making machine, designed with a dough mixer, presser, and cooker, can produce up to 3,000 chapatis daily. He estimates that deploying 2,000 similar machines across different schools could efficiently meet the target.
Inspired by a pizza press, Mwendo developed the machine to streamline production, cut labor costs, and lower chapati prices. He argues that decentralizing the process by equipping multiple schools with the machines is more practical than relying on a single large-scale production unit.
The cost of delivering one million chapatis per day would be significant, requiring 40,000 packets of wheat flour (Ksh6.4 million), 20,000 liters of cooking oil (Ksh5 million), and highly efficient machines.
Mwendo is urging the government to support the Jua Kali sector, highlighting that local artisans are capable of producing high-quality, durable machines that can rival imported alternatives.
