Maliha Mohammed: Kenyan Chef Awaits World Record Confirmation After Cooking For 150 Hours

Mombasa-based Chef Maliha Mohammed is on course to become a Guinness World Record (GWR) holder after clocking over 150 hours of non-stop cooking.

Celebrations rocked the Nairobi kitchen where Chef Maliha Mohammed has been cooking and on her online platforms as she set the stage for official confirmation by GWR which will see her hold the title for Longest Cooking Marathon by an Individual over a gruelling 6-day kitchen marathon.

Maliha, who commenced the challenge on November 15, has been keeping her fans updated on her progress in trying to surpass the current GWR record of 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from September 28 to October 3, 2023.

Fisher himself had caused an upset by dethroning 26-year-old Nigerian chef, restaurateur and actress Hilda Effiong Bassey, alias Hilda Baci for the title of the individual longest cooking marathon.

Despite surpassing the record set by Baci, the bubbly chef went on for 50 more hours, to the delight of her fans in Kenya and all over the world.

The journey to winning this impressive feat has not been easy for Maliha; she had to look for sponsors for the food, premises and other requirements for the all-important task. Nonetheless, she managed to meet all the requirements and started the journey, which climaxed in the last week. 

At some point, during the cookathon, Maliha even experienced a health scare which saw her briefly faint and get whisked from the cooking venue by emergency teams.

Through it all, Maliha's team shared a video showing her lying on a stretcher attended to by what appeared to be medical personnel. Undaunted, the chef bounced back not too long after, promising to soldier on to the end.

She was excited about this achievement posting: “The lion, the conqueror, the champion is here! 150 hours and the record is home. Thanks to all that came through especially Kenyans that made it to witness this prolific moment in time. Remember, be phenomenal or be forgotten!”

In an interview after she broke the record at 12:34 am on Wednesday, November 22, she said: “Embarking on this journey was undoubtedly one of the most difficult yet fulfilling undertakings of my career."

“Every second felt like an eternity, but also an opportunity to push beyond limits. This has not just been a personal triumph but a celebration of the resilience that resides within each one of us. It has been a journey and labour of love from Kenyans from all walks of life.”

Maliha's cookathon attracted some popular faces across the Kenyan entertainment industry chiefly Bien-Aime Baraza, Crazy Kenner, Butita and Flaqo.

Fans and supporters from all walks of life continued to troop to Maliha's base, located at Proto Energy Limited Headquarters along Thika Road where they have been making merry, dancing, cheering her on, savouring her meals and sharing widely across the internet.

The Chef and her team will now be waiting for official ratification of the record from the Guinness World Record team with a decision to be made within the next five days. 

On Monday, August 14, Maliha shattered the record for the longest home kitchen cooking marathon of 68 hours, 30 minutes, and 1 second, which was more than the previous record set by Rickey Lumpkin II from Los Angeles, California, in the United States of 68 hours, 30 minutes and 2 seconds.

Mohammed prepared sumptuous meals during her marathon, where she also showcased her culinary skills and diversity by cooking various cuisines.

The longest home cooking marathon is also viewed as a chance for her to break her own record last set in 2019 when she cooked for over 75 hours straight, setting out to cook for more than 100 hours, something never done before by any human being.