Celebrated Kenyan chef Maliha Mohammed has achieved the Guinness World Record for the longest solo cooking session.

Maliha claimed the longest cooking marathon (individual) award after clocking 150 hours, 11 seconds, breaking the previous record of 119 hours 57 minutes, 16 seconds set by Irishman Alan Fisher on November 7, 2023.

Speaking after she broke the record at 12:34 am, Wednesday, Maliha said that she endured six grueling days where her mental and physical strength were tested to the limit. During that period, every second felt like an eternity, but also an opportunity to push beyond limits.

“Embarking on this journey was undoubtedly one of the most difficult yet fulfilling undertakings of my career. 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.”

Chef Maliha is no stranger to pushing culinary boundaries. In her initial attempt, she lasted an impressive 90 hours and 15 minutes, shattering the previous record of 68 hours, 30 minutes, and 1 second.

However, Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci, managed to reclaim the title shortly after, only for Irish chef Alan Fisher to surpass the achievement.

In a statement on their X account, Guinness World Records confirmed that the title had been given to Alan Fisher, a chef from Ireland who cooked for 119 hours, 57 minutes and 16 seconds nonstop.

“Alan Fisher (Ireland), an owner and chef of a restaurant in Japan, has broken two cooking-related Guinness World Records titles,” the statement released then read.

Culinary frontiers

“We are proud to stand alongside Chef Maliha as she conquers new culinary frontiers,” said Amanda Donahue, CEO, Proto Energy who are sponsoring her quest. “Our support goes beyond the kitchen; it’s a commitment to fuelling not only kitchens but also the aspirations of those who dare to dream.

”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.

Through her Insta stories, Maliha revealed the challenges she’s encountering in her pursuit of official GWR recognition.

She explained that she had three options to secure the verification, each with its own set of hurdles.

The first option involves a lengthy waiting period of 12 weeks for GWR to verify her achievement. The second option presents a substantial financial commitment, requiring a payment of £10,500 (Sh1.6 million) to bring a GWR adjudicator to Kenya for an on-the-spot verification.

The third, and faster option also necessitates a financial investment of $650 (Sh96,980) for a verification process that can be completed in just five working days.

“I understand everyone is asking about what happened to August’s cooking marathon???? Here’s the thing, I had 3 options: It takes 12 weeks for GWR to verify you! Or I have to pay £10,500 to get an adjudicator to come to Kenya to verify me on the spot or pay 650$ to get verified in five working days!” Maliha shared.

However, Maliha expressed her financial constraints, stating that she lacked the necessary funds. “Now here is where I come in… I don’t have that type of money!!! I can’t even barely reach 20k in donations from my Till No: 8504686, how am I supposed to pay ?” she wrote.