Banking & Finance
Tei Mukunya’s NatureLock Tackles Food Waste
Tei Mukunya takes a pose at the factory based in Nairobi with a smile that smacks of satisfaction for a job well done.
NatureLock Foods, led by Tei Mukunya, is revolutionizing food processing in Kenya with dried ready-to-eat meals that fight waste and feed urban consumers.
Just a stone’s throw from Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), beneath the grand Nairobi Expressway, sits an unassuming one-storey building. It’s easy to miss—unless you know it’s home to NatureLock Foods, one of Africa’s most promising food tech startups.
Inside, Anne Tei Mukunya, 47, co-founder and Executive Director, is building a quiet revolution—one dried vegetable at a time.
“There are no shortcuts in entrepreneurship,” Tei says. “You must learn, put in the work, and carve your own path.”
Founded in May 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 crisis, NatureLock Foods tackles one of Africa’s greatest problems: post-harvest food loss.
Tei, a Kenyan entrepreneur with a background in economics and a stint at British American Tobacco (BAT), teamed up with Dutch partner Wilco Vermeer to design nutritious, ready-to-eat meals for Africa’s growing urban population.
Their flagship product, StewsDay Ndengu—a mung bean stew—uses a cutting-edge drying method developed in the Netherlands that preserves taste, aroma, and nutrients for up to two years, without refrigeration.
“We’re not just extending shelf life. We’re keeping the nutrition alive,” says Tei.
NatureLock’s approach is a game-changer. Unlike traditional sun-drying or freezing, their process cuts weight by 70%, slashes storage and transport costs, and reduces the product’s carbon footprint. That’s critical in a country where cold chain infrastructure is limited, and power costs are high.
According to KALRO scientist Dr. David Karanja, the product meets modern consumer needs:
“NatureLock meals are precooked and time-saving—ideal for a youthful population that’s always on the move. Plus, they retain essential nutrients.”
Each StewsDay pack is made from fresh vegetables that might otherwise rot in the fields. In Kenya, 40% of food is lost before it even reaches the market—equivalent to Ksh 72 billion ($535 million) annually. That’s more than double the cost of constructing Kenya’s Thika Superhighway.
NatureLock addresses this by sourcing imperfect or surplus crops directly from farmers.
“Our model ensures fair value to farmers and offers healthy food to the masses,” says Tei.
NatureLock partners with Farm to Feed, a tech-based platform co-founded by Dutch entrepreneur Claire van Enk. The startup connects farmers with surplus crops to new markets, helping boost rural incomes and fight food waste.
“We take what would have gone to waste and turn it into nourishment,” says Claire. “It’s about democratising access to healthy food.”
Together, the duo is rolling out decentralised food hubs near small farming communities, improving rural economies while reducing transport distances.
NatureLock’s bold idea has already earned international acclaim. In 2021, the company won the Africa Food Industry Excellence Award for Best New Product in Africa.
Retailer Celestine Sadaka, who runs Faces Integrated Group, praises the brand’s uniqueness:
“There is no other precooked vegetable product like it in the Kenyan market. It’s truly one of a kind.”
Their client base is growing among students, working-class families, and professionals who want fast, healthy meals that don’t compromise on taste or nutrition.
Tei’s career began in 2010 in BAT’s marketing department, but a moment of reflection with her father—who worked with USAID on rural development projects—steered her toward purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
“He asked me, ‘Why are you still selling cigarettes? Don’t you want to do something meaningful?’ That stayed with me,” she recalls.
Her journey also included time in AIESEC and a university degree in economics. Now, she’s using that experience to build a business that aligns profit with impact.
NatureLock plans to scale nationally, setting up rural processing centres to bring value closer to farmers and reduce food waste at the source. Tei also envisions expanding into regional markets, offering healthy, affordable meals across East and Central Africa.
“Africa doesn’t need to replicate Europe’s food systems. We can create our own solutions—ones that work for our realities,” she says.
Tei Mukunya is more than an entrepreneur—she’s a problem-solver. With innovation, resilience, and purpose, she’s proving that even small food factories can reshape global narratives.
- Top 5 Kenyan Women Disrupting Agribusiness
- Kenya’s $500M Food Waste Problem—and How to Fix It
- Vision 2030 and the Future of Kenyan Food Security
NatureLock Foods, Tei Mukunya, Kenya food startups,
post-harvest food loss, ready-to-eat meals Kenya, StewsDay Ndengu,
agribusiness innovation Kenya, Farm to Feed, Africa food security,
climate-smart food tech