How one egg a day could help Kenya fight malnutrition
Health Opinion
By
Kahenya Njenga and Akoth Nyakiti
| Nov 10, 2025
Eggs are the ultimate everyday food – portable, affordable, easy to cook and store, and packed with nutrients most Kenyans need more of. Yet Kenya’s per-capita egg supply remains marginal.
According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) data, Kenya’s per-capita egg consumption stood at just 1.42 kilogrammes in 2021 – roughly 24 eggs per person per year, or less than one egg every two weeks.
So why aren’t we eating more eggs?
For decades, eggs were unfairly linked to dietary cholesterol, blamed for heart disease and dismissed as risky. But modern nutritional science has long moved past these outdated fears.
In most Kenyan homes, ugali, rice, or chapati dominate the table, while eggs are treated as an occasional extra rather than a daily staple. Yet nutrition science tells a very different story.
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Research from Harvard University, supported by the American Heart Association, found no link between eating up to one egg a day and a higher risk of heart disease.
From a nutritional standpoint, eggs are hard to beat. One egg provides about six grammes of protein, all nine essential amino acids the body cannot make, plus vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium, iodine, and antioxidants that protect the eyes.
For families watching every shilling, eggs deliver more protein per coin than meat or fish.
What often gets overlooked is the yolk – rich in choline, a nutrient vital for brain development. Our bodies make only small amounts, so most must come from food, and eggs are among the best natural sources.
Research from Cornell University found that children whose mothers consumed more choline during pregnancy showed stronger attention and focus in later school years. For a pregnant Kenyan woman, something as simple as two eggs at breakfast could help give her baby a healthy head start.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), 18 per cent of Kenyan children under five are stunted due to malnutrition. In Ecuador, a six-month study where children were given one egg a day led to a nearly 50 per cent reduction in stunting. Whether boiled for a toddler or scrambled with tomatoes, eggs offer a simple, affordable way to build stronger bones and sharper minds. For expectant mothers, two eggs provide nearly all the choline needed for healthy brain growth. They are easy to include in daily meals — add to stews, make an omelette, or boil a batch for snacks.
Eggs also play a vital economic role. From smallholder farmers and feed suppliers to transporters and street vendors, stronger demand puts money into rural communities and boosts food security. Kenchic, for instance, works with over 30,000 farmers, providing training and market access to build a safe egg supply.
World Egg Day, marked on October 10, raised an important question – how can Kenya move beyond the current average of just 24 eggs per person each year? County governments could pilot school and clinic egg programmes, while vendors share nutrition messages and antenatal counsellors promote choline-rich foods. These are low-cost, practical steps that could double consumption and deliver real health gains.
Dr Njenga is a family doctor and occupational health practitioner, and Nyakiti is a dietician, nutritionist and food hygiene specialist