Patrick Mathangani and Murage Muya
23 July 2004
Nairobi — Assistant minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Robinson Githae yesterday strongly defended his controversial call to Kenyans to change their eating habits.
"When you are facing starvation, you should eat anything and everything you can find. Even God will not forgive you if you starve."
Githae said it is time Kenyans stopped being slaves to culture and embraced eating habits practiced elsewhere.
"It's intellectual argument that was missed by many who turned it into a matter of amusement and ridicule," Githae said at a news conference in his office.
The assistant minister kicked up a storm last weekend when he said Kenyans should eat rats, camels, donkeys and other animals not in the traditional menus to survive.
Kenyans, he said, appeared to be "obsessed with maize" yet food regarded as taboo in the country was reserved for VIPs elsewhere.
He cited the Democratic Republic of Congo where he said monkey meat is served to respected visitors and giant rats eaten by communities in the Coast, Tanzania and Malawi.
In addition, Githae launched an initiative to popularise traditional foods such as yams, cassava, sweet potatoes and wild vegetables. "The things I suggested are cherished delicacies for other cultures of the world. Are these people lesser humans?" posed Githae.
He scorned at retrogressive cultures that classify certain foods, such as animal parts, to specific age groups and gender.
"The Maasai don't eat chicken and many Kikuyus avoid fish. I'm simply asking for diversification, not a revolution," he explained.
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