VIDEO: Ugandan CEO Kimani Muturi Uses Banana Trees To Create Green Alternative For Hair Weaves, Fabrics & More

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Bananas are a favorite healthy snack, but the waste they produce is detrimental. They are one of the most wasteful crops in the world, mainly due to their massive stems, which are burned and as a result, pollute the air.

Uganda is one of the world’s largest banana producers and a world leader in banana consumption. After the harvest, banana stems are usually discarded as waste.

These stems only produce fruit once before they die, producing double the amount of waste as they do fruit. Uganda produces the most bananas out of all other East African countries, meaning they also produce the most waste.

But a Ugandan inventor and genius by the name of Kimani Muturi have managed to serve an alternative to the world. Kimani created a company in Kampala, Uganda, named TexFad, which turns these stems into fibers that can be used for rugs, mats, hair extensions, and more.

TEXFAD is an organization that deals in the production of handwoven textiles in Uganda. We produce handmade textiles and offer opportunities for work-based non-formal skills training programs targeting youths and women. We transform waste banana pseudo stems and other waste materials into high-quality sustainable textile products.

Kimani Muturi, the founder of TexFad, created this company in 2013 and wanted to find a way to use banana waste. TEXFAD has developed technologies for banana fiber extraction and application in the production of high-quality banana fiber textiles and handicrafts.

The stems are chopped into smaller pieces and left in the sun to dry. After they are dried, they are put through an extractor, which creates thread-like fibers for weaving.

After the fibers are put through the extractor, they are dried in the sun for a second time. Once dried, the fibers are soft, but very strong, making them great for weaving goods. Sometimes, they are dyed at this step.

Another issue in Uganda is that many students receive a college degree, but do not have the opportunity to get jobs or internships. Texfad also employs local Ugandans and offers internship programs, and it was recognized by the president of Uganda Museveni late last year.

The concept of turning banana leaves into textiles is not a new process. However, Textfad introducing this to Uganda in 2021 is a major step for the country as it produces more bananas than any other country in East Africa. Uganda produces about 9 million tonnes every year.

So in retrospect, this is a good move that will hopefully be embraced by East Africa’s fashion industry and hopefully the rest of the world. Textfad is also capable of providing alternatives to hair weaves, which can also be a resolution to the embarrassing fact that African women wear European women’s hair on their heads. See more products below.

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