By Felix Oketcho
The Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) together with the Banana Industrial Research and Development Centre (BIRDC) have unveiled national culinary contest dubbed “Create and Cook with Tooke.”
Rev. Prof. Florence Isabirye Muranga the Managing Director of PIBID says the challenge aims to spotlight Tooke flour—PIBID/BIRDC’s signature gluten-free flour produced from Uganda’s green bananas (matooke).
She notes that the competition will feature both seasoned chefs and passionate culinary creator and episodes will air from January to March 2026.
“Entries from chefs and bakers across the country are already being accepted. The contest will culminate in a Grand Finale dinner in April 2026, coinciding with PIBID’s 21-year anniversary,”Prof Muranga stated.
She explained that participation is open to three professional categories—Bakers, Pastry Chefs and General Chefs. Eligibility requires at least five years of experience for bakers and pastry specialists, and not less than three years for general chefs.
“Throughout the competition, participants will undergo hands-on training focused on mastering Tooke flour. They will compete in three stages: the qualifiers, semifinals, and finals, each tailored to their category. Competitors will be evaluated on their mastery of Tooke flour, culinary technique, originality, flavour, and plating. The best three contestants in every category will receive awards and will be showcased on PIBID/BIRDC digital platforms,”she stressed.
Tooke, the flagship brand under PIBID, represents a range of banana-based flours and confectionery innovations developed since the initiative’s establishment in 2005 by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
The product has met both local and international quality benchmarks and is increasingly being used in baking and processed foods—from bread and pastries to biscuits and baby food.
The transformation of banana value-addition from a research concept to a fully commercial venture has improved incomes, created jobs, boosted food security, and broadened markets at home and abroad.
According to PIBID/BIRDC, this new competition will help identify skilled culinary professionals capable of championing Tooke flour and expanding its use in Uganda’s kitchens and beyond.
Ugandans have been feeding on Bananas (matooke) for so many years. According to estimates, over 10 million tones are produced every year. It is also estimated that at least 10million people feed on bananas as their main food in Uganda and many more feed on it across the region. However, there is a lot of wastage of the banana.
Experts say that for many years, the fact that the banana was only eaten as a direct food meant that a lot of it was wasted. This is what the president wanted to stop when he set up the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID).
21 years down the road ,Prof Muranga PIBID as established state-of-the-art banana processing enterprises in Uganda, producing value-added matooke products with competitive market strength both locally and globally, manned by rural farmers/ entrepreneurs.
Tooke’flour, which has been tested against international quality standards in Germany and France, is now being promoted throughout Uganda and is being used in bread, cakes, biscuits and other processed products, including baby food. It is hoped that ‘Tooke’ products will also prove successful in export markets.
PIBID has also managed to set up a processing factory, based in Bushenyi from where the processing of the bananas and general research is carried out. The factory in Nyaruzinga is also used to train farmers from the region on the banana value addition. They have an office in Kampala, in Nakasero.