The Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC chain opened a new branch in Nairobi after a potato importation controversy in Kenya.
The expansion is expected to increase competition with other brands Subway, Java and ArtCaff KFC, which operates locally through franchisee Kuku Foods East Africa. It opened a new branch last week in TotalEnergies Clay City on Kasarani Mwiki road in Nairobi.
The expansion comes at a time in which Kenya has seen increased interest from global fast-food outlets fuelled by growing demand.
There has been an increase in activity in this market segment, which has also coincided with the construction of new malls, giving retailers a concentration of well-heeled shoppers.
The new outlet will raise KFC's national branch count to 26 and comes nine months after it opened its Mombasa branch in March. The fast-food chain plans to open a new branch at Maiyan Mall, whose anchor tenant is Naivas Supermarket.
The expansion of the branch comes at a time when KFC has suffered a shortage of potatoes at its outlets in Kenya because of delays in delivery from its overseas suppliers, forcing it to offer customers alternative food items in lieu of French fries.
The East Africa chief executive Jacques Theunissen told the Business Daily last week that the shortage of chips was due to a hitch in the global supply of potatoes.
KFC said it does not source potatoes locally on global quality standards.
It did not specify the global quality and safety standards a potential supplier in Kenya must meet to supply the firm with potatoes for chips.