Tucked in various commercial centres of Nairobi, street food vendors or vibandas, as they are popularly known, are an integral part of the city’s economy.
You will find them at strategic locations in Westlands, Upper Hill, Kilimani, Lang’ata, Ngong Road and many other places, and it is not uncommon to find sharply dressed middle-class Nairobians flocking these establishments during their lunch break.
Many more can be found in industrial area, along Jogoo road, and deep in the heart of Nairobi estates.
Over the years, they have provided an affordable alternative to hotel food which usually costs twice as much due to the expensive overheads associated with running restaurants.
Keeping their expenses at only basic necessities, vibandas are able to compensate for what they lack in comfort for tasty meals at pocket-friendly prices.
A plate of rice, chapati or ugali accompanied by beans, cowpeas or green grams often goes for between Ksh 100 and Ksh 150, and meat lovers are also well taken care of at an extra cost.
According to the Kenya National Alliance of Street Vendors and Informal Traders (KENASVIT), there are about 30,000 food vendors in Nairobi.
With each serving about 60 customers daily, the kiosks serve close to 2 million Nairobians daily.
Supposing these establishments have at least 3 workers, they create employment for almost 100,000 residents.
However, many of these are unlicensed with the Nairobi County Government data acknowledging only about 1,500 licensed vendors.
Depending on their locations, some vibandas are profitable enough to help the entrepreneurs open up branches in other parts of the city.
Many of these establishments are associated with women despite some of them being owned by men. African culture can be attributed to this, with many of the women adopting the moniker Mathee which is a sheng word for mother.
One of the owners of a kibanda in Upper Hill told The Standard journalists that their meals are a welcome relief to residents of Nairobi working in the big offices, as well as those who might feel lonely eating in costly offices.
Another crop of vendors that is increasing by the day involve those who do deliveries. They have identified an opportunity to avoid costs incurred by setting up the makeshift kiosks by preparing the food in their homes and delivering to their clients.
As the 2022 General Elections swing into high gear it will not be strange to see politicians flocking vibandas to share meals with the common mwananchi as they try to sell them their manifestos.
