Mary Abukutsa-Onyango

Mary Oyiela Abukutsa-Onyango (born 20 February 1959) is a humanitarian and agricultural scientist from Kenya who specializes in olericulture, agronomy, plant physiology. Abukutsa-Onyango is a professor of horticulture at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology whose work focuses on African indigenous food crops. Abukutsa Onyango has studied how African indigenous vegetables can be used to combat malnutrition in Africa while maintaining a secure form of revenue even during more challenging weather and climate.

Early life and family Mary Oyiela Abukutsa-Onyango was born on 20 February 1959 in Ematsuli, Kenya. She is the third born in a family of eight children to Enos Abukutsa Masele and Rosebella Amumbwe Abukutsa. She was baptized at Ilungu Seventh Day Adventist church in August 1975 by Pastor Washington Buka. While growing up in Kenya, Abukutsa-Onyango became ill due to an allergy to animal proteins, so her family cooked African vegetables that were abundant where she lived such as African nightshade, jute mallow, and the greens of cowpeas. One of her grandmothers cooked pumpkin leaves with peanut or sesame paste. Abukutsa-Onyango's father, Enos encouraged and supported his daughter becoming academic, and her mother Rosebella taught her to love and care.

Career and works Abukutsa-Onyango's interest and appreciation of indigenous African vegetables was sparked by an allergy to animal proteins she had as a child. This led her to pursue a career in agriculture as she wanted to “unravel the potential hidden in African indigenous vegetables,” she said. She has been involved in research of African indigenous vegetables since 1990 on an academic level and a practical level with farmers. She surveyed Kenya's indigenous plants to investigate the viability of seeds used by farmers. Her research has changed and she focuses on the nutritional properties of vegetables. Her research has shown that amaranth greens, spider plant, and African nightshade contain substantial amounts of protein and iron and are rich in calcium, folate, and vitamins A, C, and E. The cooking of these vegetables as studied by Abukutsa-Onyango could help combat malnutrition in Africa as they provide necessary nutrients and proteins to those who cannot afford meat.

Abukutsa-Onyango has published over 20 peer-reviewed scientific articles and now teaches as a professor of horticulture at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Juja, Kenya. She has led public education campaigns and worked with restaurants and supermarkets in order to find out how to incorporate these more nutritious, indigenous vegetables into the diets of the people. A significant problem was that people did not know how to cook the vegetables. Abukutsa-Onyango sought out the recipes lost by newer generations and tested them for nutritional value. In 2010 she also spoke about the difficulties of publishing her ideas and the importance of Open Access at the University of Nairobi Library arranged by Bioline International.

Abukutsa-Onyango has spoken at TED@Nairobi for the TED2013 Talent search. She gave evidence of the lack of vegetable consumption by Africans and plans for further commercialization and promotion of African indigenous vegetables. She briefly mentions the advantages of growing these vegetables such as their short growth period, adaptation to local climate, stress tolerance, and nutritional value.

Awards and recognition Abukutsa-Onyango's research was showcased to US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton on 5 August 2009 at NARL-KARI.