On Wednesday, opinion was split down the middle as the menu of a popular restaurant in Gigiri, Nairobi County, appeared online, portraying meal prices in dollars.
According to reports, the restaurant owner implemented a new policy requiring all clients to pay for meals and services in dollars due to the weakness of the Kenyan shilling.
As of Wednesday, November 29, one dollar was worth 152.73 Kenyan Shillings, despite the fact that businesses in Kenya continue to report a severe dollar shortage.
The restaurant owner stated in a statement that he made this decision to defend his business based on the Shilling’s performance over the course of the year.
“We want a stable business,” says the CEO.
A photograph of a person counting 100 dollars.
A photograph shows a person collecting $100 bills MARCA PHOTOGRAPHY
To that aim, the restaurant owner urged his guests to exchange their cash for US dollars at local forex bureaus before entering his restaurant for a meal.
As Kenyans continued to debate the issue, another line of thought evolved in which some onlookers were perplexed by the high costs of food at the restaurant in question. Chapati and beans are offered at Ksh1,600 (USD10.99) on the menu.
However, the restaurant provides free deliveries in certain districts of Nairobi, which Kenyans view as a courtesy given the establishment’s expensive food costs.
Another group of Kenyans reported similar experiences of being requested to pay in dollars for services at restaurants and stores as businesses seek to mitigate losses.
Meanwhile, Kenyans have continued to voice alarm over the falling shilling, which they say is exacerbating the country’s high living costs. Many people have urged the government to take action to prevent the Shilling from falling further against the dollar.
Kenya Power raised the notion of pricing tokens in dollars earlier this year as a way to stop its losses, highlighting how difficult the situation is.
Similarly, in September, a Knight Frank analysis revealed how the dollar was influencing apartment and business space rental trends.