August 16, 2011 – By now, if you haven’t learned that Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has opened its flagship restaurant in Nairobi already, I really don’t know where you’ve been.

With record-breaking queues and unprecedented hype for many months, KFC has definitely entered into the Kenyan market in a big way.

When I say unprecedented hype, I mean un-pre-ce-dented!  Before KFC even officially opened in Kenya, their “KFC at Junction” Facebook page had already more than 2,000 likes in anticipation of tasting Colonel Sander’s secret recipes.  Hundreds of people have been lining up since Friday’s grand opening in hopes of tasting the famous KFC chicken recipe, or maybe just to be among the first in the country to say they’ve already had some.

When you look at KFC’s finger-lickin’ success in China, it’s scary to think what may happen in Kenya just from the current frenzy.

In China, a new KFC restaurant is opened every 18 hours. Yes, it’s ok…be SHOCKED!  Clearly, the Chinese have taken to KFC like they should to rice.  So are the Kenyan’s going to take to KFC like they should to Sukuma Wiki?  So far, it seems that popular opinion is positive; however there is definitely a strong KFC-hating campaign as well.

So how will KFC fair in Kenya? Only time will tell. What would the World be like without KFC’s original or extra crispy fried chicken?  Few can fathom….

 

KFC’s Competition

KFC’s primary competition in Kenya is ChicKing.  Wait, KFC has competition?

Located in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), ChicKing Fried Chicken has been opened for many months and has impressed many with their halal fried chicken. Delicious, crispy and at a portion of KFC’s prices; ChicKing poses the biggest threat to KFC Kenya domination.

So who’s fried chicken do you prefer?  KFC’s or ChicKing’s?