Here is a list of the best Kenyan street foods in Nairobi. The majority of Nairobi residents live on a budget, and most of them depend on food kiosks for lunch meals because they are pocket-friendly. Due to economic hardship in the capital and the continuous futile search for formal employment, some have decided to venture into the fast food business, resulting in the rise of street food culture.
Nairobi, being the capital city, is a fusion of different tribes and cultures, and street food is becoming increasingly popular, forcing vendors to add a twist to the snacks to make them more appealing. Without further ado, here are some popular Kenyan street foods in Nairobi you should try out.
Popular Kenyan Street Food in Nairobi
1. Mshikaki (grilled kebab)
It is a skewer that often consists of meat, including beef, goat, or chicken. The meat is marinated and then grilled on open coal. Sometimes it has a spicy taste and includes vegetables. The nightlife scene in Kenya comes alive from late Thursday to Saturday night. A common place to find kebab vendors is on Electric Avenue—an area where you find most clubs and lounges in Westlands, Nairobi—and outside clubs in the Central Business District. Some have vegetables, while others offer spicy meat on skewers.
2. Grilled Maize (Mahindi choma)
Popular all over South Africa and other countries, grilled maize is corn on a cob that is buttered and grilled, and it has a sweet taste and a crunchy texture. It is also often slathered with lime, chili, and salt. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll surely be delighted with this street food that is not only healthy but also very tasty. The grilled maize is also quite filling, which will give you the energy to stroll and continue with your tour.
3. Mahamri (deep-fried doughnut)
Mahamri is not just a street snack; it is also a favorite breakfast staple in Kenya. It is a kind of sweetened donut that is made of sugar, coconut milk, yeast, and cardamon. It has a golden brown color as a result of being deep-fried. The aroma of the doughnut can be smelled from afar, enticing you to taste it. Also, it is best eaten with hot chai tea, which makes the experience a lot better and brings out the coconut flavor of the dish.
4. Smokie Pasua (smoked sausage)
Smokie pasua is a sausage split into two to make a pocket and then filled with kachumbari (fresh tomato and onion salad) before being topped with chili and tomato sauce. The sausage is already cooked, so the vendor will only need to reheat it for the customers. You will often see these sold alongside boiled eggs in white trolleys around many towns in Kenya. Just a warning: this street food is flavorful and addictive, which will make it hard for you to resist buying another.
5. Chipo Mwitu (Chips Mwitu)
This is French fries but with a sneaky twist. Spoiler alert: no special procedures are used, but they somehow turn out differently. Restaurant-style fries aren’t a match. Note that its texture is more on the mushy side. Potatoes are hand-peeled, sliced into fries, and then deep-fried in a deep iron wok heated by wood or charcoal. That’s it.
Fries are scooped into a clear plastic bag, and salted and tomato sauce are added. The sauce used is normally watered down and has a thin consistency that coats everything evenly. it is then garnished with shredded cabbage, kachumbari, or both.
6. Chapo-Smokie(Smocha)
The name smocha is derived from the constituents of this wrap: chapatis and smokies. It is like a mini burrito, but instead, it is filled with kachumbari and a smokie (a precooked smoked sausage), and a chapati (flatbread) is the wrap. It is a campus delicacy sold by street food vendors, especially near universities, e.g., Klabu, University of Nairobi. Smocha is probably the most loved item on this list, and we swear by it.
7. Mayai Pasua (hard-boiled egg with kachumbari)
Mayai pasua is simply a hard-boiled egg that is sold along with smokie pasua and samosa. The vendor beats it with a spoon to crack the shell and peel the egg; you’ll be amazed by how fast they can do it. It is then sliced into two and either filled with pepper or plain kachumbari. You can also add salt to taste. This street food is filling, ensuring that you’ll have the energy to stroll around town before your next meal.
8. Mutura (Blood Sausage)
Mutura is a traditional blood-filled sausage using the intestines as a casing, originating from Central Kenya’s Kikuyu community. Sometimes soft organs—the liver, kidney, and tripe—are chopped into tiny pieces and used to fill the intestine membrane alongside the blood. Intestines are cleaned all through; one end is tied as a knot, then the filling process follows, and the opposite end is tied as well.
The mutura is then pre-cooked by boiling to make it plump and firm, before finishing off on a smoky charcoal grill. (The smoke gives it its unique barbecue flavor.) Once done, it is then served on a chopping board with chopped-up diced chilies, kachumbari, and salt. Mutura is notorious for food poisoning, so make sure you get it from a reputable vendor, especially the ones next to butcheries. Mutura costs as little as KSh 20 for a finger-sized portion, and KSh 50 gets you a more generous portion.
9. Fried Cassava
There is an abundance of cassava in Kenya, and the locals grew up eating this starchy tuber. Its texture is quite hard, making it flexible enough to deep fry or roast. Fried cassava is another favorite street food among the locals. It is usually topped with spicy ingredients and drizzled with lemon for that added tangy flavor. If you don’t like it fried, you can also find boiled cassava and sweet potatoes for a very affordable price.
10. Mahindi Boilo or Mahindi Chemsha
Nothing special about this one; just maize on the cob, boiled till tender. Salted upon completion, or the water that cooks it is salted before for better infusion.
11. Nyama choma (roast meat)
A must-try food list in Kenya should include Nyama Choma. It is a roasted meat dish that commonly uses goat or beef. The best part of the meat to choose when cooking nyama choma is the fatty part. The street food is eaten by hand with a quick dip of salt for extra flavor. You can also get the fried version of it at many stalls around the street.
12. Bhajia and Chips Masala
Bhajias and chips masala are popular street foods made from potatoes. The Bhajias are thinly sliced potatoes dipped in a batter made of chickpea flour and different spices. They are then deep-fried until it’s crispy on the outside but soft on the inside and served hot with a side of kachumbari.
This snack is loved by both the young and old. Its origin is from the Indian migrants who helped build the Kenya-Uganda railway. The chips masala is deep-fried French fries that are then fried in spices like garam masala, cumin, and paprika. The result is a reddish-coated delicious meal of simple potatoes.
13. Viazi Karai (fried packed potatoes)
For Viazi Karai, potatoes are cooked whole instead of slicings; they are mixed with spice seasonings too. Viazi Karai, unlike bhajia, is boiled, seasoned with spices, and then deep-fried until crispy on the outside. The distinct flavors and aroma are from the spices; the spice blend consists of turmeric, cumin, chili, and coriander. Turmeric gives the appetizing yellow-orange color.
14. Samosa
Same as Indian samosas but with an African twist; they are either minced meat filled or veggie filled (with spices) caused by a thin pastry, cut into triangles, and deep fried. May be served with kachumbari or chutney as a side.
15. Virenjee
These are chicken feet, throats, and other conventionally unwanted parts that are fried and spiced on the street. Virenjee shares the stage and is cooked alongside chicken heads, necks, wings, goat testicles, and other organs. Virenje is a Luhya name for chicken feet, as the tribe is known for its good appetite for chicken and Ugali dishes.
16. Kebab
Its minced meat is combined with eggs, spices, chopped veggies, and flour and rolled out into a corn dog shape. After setting it is egg-washed and deep-fried, taken out egg egg-washed again, and fried. The process is repeated as egg layers are added, cooked, and crisped out. It is fluffy and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
17. Shawarma
This is the most lavish street food mostly found in South C and South B estates. Shawarma is a popular Levantine Arab dish consisting of meat cut into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like shape, and roasted on a slowly turning vertical rotisserie or spit.
Getting its delicious taste depends on how the meat is marinated and how specific sauces, mayonnaise, and spices are mixed. Unlike other street food, Shawarma is quite expensive with prices ranging from Ksh 200 to Ksh 250.
18. Chapo Madondo (flat bread and beans)
Chapati is a form of roti. This delicacy was introduced to the Kenyan food scene by Indian immigrants. It is now a popular street food in Kenya and is usually served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. One popular combo is having chapati with madondo (bean stew). Other stews that are served with chapati include ndengu (mung beans), beef stew, or chicken stew.
There are different ways of enjoying this meal, you can either have your chapatis cut into pieces then mix it up with the stew alternatively, roll it up, and bite with each scoop of stew.
19. Sugarcane
There is no way sugarcane could miss out on this list. Luckily, sugarcane never goes out of stock in many parts of Kenya, which explains why it will never be missed on the streets. While it is possible to buy a whole stem and prepare it on your own, most city people tend to be ‘busy’ and want everything simplified. The vendors, therefore, peel the sugarcane, cut it into tiny chunks, and pack it in small transparent polyethylene bags for convenience.
