We, Iteso, need cassava for making our atap (either sorghum and/or millet mixed in cassava to make atap ugali).
Euphoria following production in Teso of cassava tubers believed the longest in the world, is understandable in the context of it is our major staple food.
No doubt, it is either produced of ‘improved varieties’ of cuttings; or of cuttings that contain genetically modified organism, by researchers.
Photo credit @ Voice of Teso
Some genetically modified cassava varieties, however, have not been user friendly to consume in atap. Case in point:
“The cassava from Serere Research Institute is not edible as atap. If you mix it to make atap, the atap just turns into liquid form on the plate. And by the way a lot of that cassava got rotten in the garden and we had to plough it down. They say that that cassava was for boiling to eat as a snack with tea. It is not for using in atap. When it is ready to harvest, you sell it at the garden when it is still fresh so that the buyers go and use it for making chips or for roasting. That cassava brought for us the monkey (hunger).” Members of a women’s group in Serere shared during a research focus group discussion.
Experts celebrating the longest cassava similarly indicated that among its important uses could be bakeries for making biscuits and breweries for making alcohol.
Photo credit @ Voice of Teso
Now, if the new ‘modern’ varieties of cassava are not good for eating as atap, should we as Iteso celebrate them?
the Humanist view 
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