Musukui
The Akamba chicken, or musukui as it is called locally, is a local breed of chicken raised in the Mwala district of central Kenya, just east of Nairobi. The breed is large in size and weights up to 2.5 kilograms when mature. It is distinctive for its long, featherless neck, and is well known for its tender meat. Akamba chickens are prolific layers and, because they are good incubators, have a higher percentage of hatched eggs compared to other breeds. The yolks of the Akamba chickens’ eggs are large and reddish in color, and commonly used in making cakes. Their meat is prepared for special guests and brought as a gift by women when they are visiting important relatives. Locally, this breed is thought to be a good omen; if it is prepared for a visitor, their visit is considered successful. The Akamba chicken can be found in markets only rarely. It is mainly sold directly by producers or prepared for home consumption, but in small quantities. The breed is considered at risk of extinction because the young chicks are particularly open to attack by predators because of their exposed necks. Because they are good layers, they have also been used to create hybrid breeds, and so many farmers have chosen to raise the hybrid layers instead of the more vulnerable original breed. Raising and eating hybrid chicken breeds instead of this native breed is also considered by some to be a sign of modernity.
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