Mary Abukutsa Onyango

As a pioneer researcher in indigenous African vegetables, Mary Abukutsa Onyango has changed the position of these vegetables from a poor man’s crop to a highly sought after food that can be found in supermarkets today. Onyango, who grew up vegetarian as a result of allergies to animal protein, was motivated to choose agriculture as her career path by her interest in the indigenous vegetables that her family ate when she was a child.

Her research in this area has influenced both Kenyans and the government to reconsider the importance of African vegetables such as jute mallow, spider plant, pumpkin leaves, and amaranth, and has earned her international acclaim as well.

She asserts that cooking these vegetables could help combat malnutrition in Africa as they provide the necessary nutrients and proteins for those who cannot afford meat.

Onyango urges girls to study science, asserting that the inclusion of more women in these fields will have a great impact on the development of the country.

Onyango has gone the extra mile and created recipes for these indigenous vegetables, considering that some people may want to eat them but lack the knowledge on how to prepare them.  Due to her efforts, commercial seed companies have begun stocking the seeds for these vegetables. The trend is steadily catching on.

Her desire to learn about indigenous vegetables led her to study agriculture at the University of Nairobi. This was despite discouragement from friends and family. She later graduated with a Master of Science in Agronomy in 1988 from the same institution. She also holds a PhD in Horticulture from Wye College, University of London.

Onyango is acknowledged as an expert in her field due to her qualifications and experience, accumulated over 20 years of conducting research. She began her career in 1983 as an agricultural officer at the Ministry of Agriculture. She also worked as director of the School of Graduate Studies and as the dean of the Faculty of Science at Maseno University between 1992 and 2007. She later joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) as a professor, a position she still holds. She has also served as the convener of the professors’ forum at JKUAT, and as a member of the expert panel for the Africa-wide Women and Young Professionals in Science competition.

For her work in promoting indigenous African vegetables, Onyango has received recognition in the form of various awards. She was named International Scientist of the Year 2002 by the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge in England. She received the CGIAR Science Award for Outstanding Communications from the Consultative Group in Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in 2007. In 2009, her research was showcased to the then US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories. In recognition of her achievements she also was awarded the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS).

In September 2010, Onyango received an African Union award for her research in the production of traditional vegetables in developing countries. She also received the Edinburgh Medal in 2014 for her dedication to finding sustainable solutions to obesity and malnutrition in Africa. In 2017, Onyango was named, among 32 other scientists, as 2017 fellows of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS).

Currently, Onyango is working towards reintroducing such varieties as African nightshade and vegetable amaranth to regional farmers, and set up a system to put them back into the marketplace. She believes that is impossible to address the issues of nutrition security, poverty, and health in Kenya without relying on African indigenous crops. She continues to champion their production and consumption throughout the country.

Onyango urges girls to study science, asserting that the inclusion of more women in these fields will have a great impact on the development of the country.

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