Kenyan SME keen to tackle food loses through tech

EVERY evening, as supermarket shelves are cleared and restaurant kitchens wind down, tonnes of perfectly edible food are quietly discarded across Kenya—while millions of households worry about their next meal.

An estimated 30–40 per cent of all food produced in Kenya goes to waste each year, industry data shows.

This is what inspired the birth of a new homegrown tech solution, Msossi, Kenya’s first innovative food App designed to combat food waste and losses.

Set to be launched in Kenya this month, it targets to connect stores with consumers to sell surplus and near-expiry food items at signicantly discounted prices.

“The inspiration was simply how we waste a much food despite the country generally classified as food insecure yet we may have enough food for everybody just that we waste it. We wanted to look at it from a business point of view,” Msossi cofounder and CEO Kevin Otiende told the Star.

The platform allows restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels to list excess food for quick sale. This helps reduce the large volumes of food wasted each year while offering affordable options to consumers and minimising financial losses for businesses.

Kenya faces a critical food waste challenge, with an estimated 30–40 per cent of all food produced lost to spoilage and expiry annually.

This results in billions of shillings in economic losses and worsens food insecurity and environmental pressure.

Msossi addresses this challenge through a digital marketplace for discounted food packs that promotes sustainability while delivering cost savings for both consumers and retailers.

 “With Kenya losing up to 40 per cent of all food produced to wastage and expiry – worth billions of shillings every year – Msossi offers a timely solution to turn potential losses into opportunities for savings and sustainability,” Otiende said.

The app targets individual consumers seeking affordable and eco-conscious food choices, as well as businesses looking to reduce losses linked to food waste.

It encourages deep discounts to attract buyers and ensure fast turnover of surplus items.

“Connecting stores directly with consumers reduces waste and builds a more efficient food ecosystem that benefits everyone.”

“Over the past one year, we have immersed into the operations of supermarkets and restaurants and discovered that supermarkets lose between 5- 12 per cent of their fresh food to wastage, while restaurants are losing up to 30 per cent. Our platform enables restaurants, supermarkets and hotels to sell surplus food quickly at attractive prices. This helps consumers access affordable nutrition while addressing a serious environmental and economic challenge,” he noted.

The App comes at a critical time as Kenya continues to grapple with inefficiencies across the food supply chain. Msossi is expected to roll out nationwide, with features designed for easy listing and purchasing to suit local market needs.

The platform also provides measurable impact data, including the amount of food saved, carbon emissions reduced and meals rescued.

These insights can support ESG and CSR reporting, demonstrating a company’s commitment to the circular economy and zero-waste practices.

By facilitating quick sales of excess stock, the entrepreneur hopes to helps stores recoup revenue they would otherwise lose, minimize losses and empowers consumers to access affordable and sustainable food options, and addresses Kenya's significant food waste challenge.

This, as the country continues to tackle food wastage—which is highest at the household level (44%) and within supply chains—through a combination of infrastructure investment, policy reform and technology.

Key initiatives include developing cold storage facilities, adopting digital platforms for food redistribution, strengthening agricultural handling and promoting food banking for schools and vulnerable communities.