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For the last few years, uji power has been gracing the tables at makeshift kisoks, office tables and homes while powering a section f Kenyans through their day.
Across Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), the estates and the suburbs, kiosks selling uji power abound to cater for the needs of its ardent partakers.
In downtown Nairobi, men, women and the youth across different classes and ages are united by their love for this potent drink as the take their place for a sip which they simply can’t resist.
What makes it irresistible
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Uji power has been embraced by many due to its affordability and accessibility with many kiosks serving the drink mushrooming across the city.
READ: KEBS declares stance on okra water & uji power following increased popularity
For many, it is also a healthier option packed with nutrients and a preferred snack/meal over junk food whose impacts on health have been established.
The fact that it is sold cheap and easily accessible makes it a more enticing quick meal to have over junk food snacks or having to prepare food at home and carry it to eat later in the day.
Millicent who sells uji power in Nairobi’s Umoja estate contends that it is not just a drink; It is a heavy meal with nutrients that powers its partakers through the day especially in an economy where affording three square meals is a challenge for many.
Some carry it to the office as a substitute for lunch, saving the from the hustle of having to prepare food at home and carry to the office or heading out to an eatery.
Ingredients, health benefits & claims
Uji power took the city by storm with several claims associated with the potent drink which saw some embrace it with the hope of enjoying the perceived benefits.
Millicent who has been selling the local meal for close to three years admits that although the ingredients are more or less the same, there is no single formula to prepare uji power with each vendor mixing the same to their desired ratio to still produce the same great taste that keeps customers coming back for more.
Arrowroots, groundnuts (or peanut butter), milk, sweet potatoes, cassava, pumpkin seed powder, honey or sugar, sesame seeds, peanut butter; chia and flax seeds are among the ingredients.
When prepared well in a process that requires skill and expertise in mixing the ingredients in the right proportions, each ingredient still comes with the same nutritional value it has been established to have.
Uji power gained significant traction on social media with claims that it works wonders for some men who linked it to sexual wellness.
KEB's comprehensive assessment
Acknowledging the need for a comprehensive assessment to establish these claims, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) launched an extensive inquiry into the authenticity of Uji Power.
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"We've received intelligence on these products (uji power and okra), and we're commencing an investigation immediately," KEBS Director of Market Surveillance, Peter Kaigwara announced in April 2024.
While the difference in recipes used by those who prepare and sell the drink makes it difficult for conclusive research on some of its alleged benefits, nutritionists agree that it is a healthy meal packed with nutrients.
As the research continues, the party isn’t stopping any time soon for uji power’s ardent fans.