Nairobi News

HashtagHustle

After quails, is this fruit the next multi-million agribusiness fraud?


The horned melon is a fruit that probably doesn’t make it to the grocery list of most households.

But its popularity is currently on the rise. It is even giving the much sought after Avocado fruit a run for its money.

No prizes for guessing why.

Kenyans have suddenly discovered the health ‘secrets’  of the horned melon in the wake of deaths of prominent people through cancer. Many are linking the fruit with an ability to prevent cancer (though we couldn’t find any known scientific research backing the claim).

“With the scare of cancer, this fruit and many more, will be in the making of the next pyramid scheme of things,” said Fred Aminga on Facebook with a picture of the yellowish fruits.

Online wags have flooded social media with tales of how the fruit has become scarce following the rising number of people buying the fruit.

President Uhuru Kenyatta recently urged Kenyans to change their lifestyles and take up healthy habits. It appears people have taken in the advice if this horned melon rash is anything to go by.

“Yeah that fruit has shot overnight in popularity. Kenyans really fear death,” said Jackson Mwalulu.

“Will try everything to run from thick big C,” wrote Emily Nyambura.

“May God have mercy on us…..Kenyans n the world at large are ready to take anything….from water to poison just to keep cancer at bay….mungu saidia,” commented Pauline Machoki.

“Let the Kenyans who can make money from the fruit and others do so. They coffee is harvested when it’s ripe,” stated Samuel Kinyanjui.

In 2014, a similar agribusiness boom was experienced with the rush for the quail bird and its eggs.

It was believed that the quail eggs could cure a number of ailments, turning its into a multi-million business that later turned into a fool’s gold.