Prof Imbuga (right) witnesses as Mr. Yoshida signs the transfer of shares document
Nissin Foods Holding Company has officially handed over the Multimillion Instant Noodles Factory to JKUAT in a bid to boost supply of locally flavoured noodles to the Kenyan market. The facility, with a capacity to produce 9000 packets per hour, is an offshoot of collaboration between Nissin Foods Holdings of Japan and JKUAT.
With over one billion packets of noodles being consumed globally, Nissin Foods Holding General Manager, Corporate Planning Division, Mr. Yoichi Yoshida was confident that the factory will enhance the popularity of the noodle dish in the country.
“As a company, we are very proud and excited to transfer this technology to the university and we have no doubt that the facility will enhance the food security and nutrition of the country,” said Mr. Yoshida.
He was speaking during the handover ceremony of the facility to JKUAT Management, July 18, 2018 attended by University management and Nissin Foods Holding Staff.
Acknowledging that the establishment of the Instant Noodle Factory has been an invigorating and turbulent journey, the General Manager thanked JKUAT for the commitment they have accorded the initiative.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mabel Imbuga while thanking Nissin Foods Holding for setting up the factory said, it will go along way in fostering technology transfer, food security, employment creation and industrialisation.
“The factory will be vital in achieving manufacturing and food security and nutrition, two of the government’s ‘Big Four Agenda’ aimed at improving the economic status and wellbeing of the kenyan people,” said Prof. Imbuga.
Mr. Yoshida and Prof. Imbuga are joined by the University Management and Nissin Foods Holding staff as they display the certificate of ownership
To change the feeding habits of Kenyans, Prof. Imbuga added JKUAT will incorporate the use of sorghum to ameliorate the nutritional value of noodles being consumed hence improving the health index and food nutrition in the country.
A couple of JKUAT staff have been trained in Japan on key areas including factory maintenance, product development, sales and business development in readiness for the operationalization of the noodles factory at the university. The factory will be officially launched in July, 2018.