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Revealed: Uhuru’s lunch secrets with Ruto

By DIANA MUTHUNE January 24th, 2019 2 min read

President Uhuru Kenyatta settled the bills of all patrons at Barka Restaurant in Mombasa during his surprise lunch date with his deputy William Ruto on Wednesday.

The president paid a bill that ran to “hundreds of thousands”, according to staff and patrons who benefited from the generous gesture.

The cooks and waiters on duty were also tipped generously during the visit that caught them unawares.

All payments were made in cash.

“We were so happy and did not feel like working the rest of the day, ” said Fayaz Daya, the cashier of the restaurant.

It was just a normal day like any other. Customers were getting in to have their lunch at the restaurant famous for its Swahili delicacy. Suddenly at around 1:30 pm a convoy of vehicles parked in front of the restaurant located on Kibokoni Road.

WALKED IN

President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto walked in accompanied by House majority leaders Aden Duale (National Assembly) and Kipchumba Murkomen (Senate).

“The visit was abrupt. Everyone was taken back by surprise because the visit was unexpected. The customers stood up and others were lucky to shake the hands of the president. We were so happy and did not feel like working the rest of the day. The only topic then was about the president’s visit,” Mr Daya said.

The president and his entourage headed straight to the VIP lounge which can host about 60 people.

“At the VIP lounge, the buffet (which costs Sh 1,000 per person) was ready for the guest. President Kenyatta ordered a plate of biryani, chicken tikka, chapati, mchicha and tamarind juice,” he said.

The team spent about 45 minutes enjoying their lunch.

After lunch, President Kenyatta addressed a crowd gathered outside the restaurant and thanked them for the hearty welcome. He also urged the people to continue living in harmony, before boarding his car and taking his leave.

‘HUMBLE PERSON’

“This is the third time Mr President is visiting our restaurant. He is very social and humble person and him visiting our joint is a great honor,”Mr Daya added.

Barka Restaurant was established in 2010 with a specialty in delicacies like shawarma, biryani and Swahili Pizza.

“President Kenyatta has visited the restaurant twice during lunch hours and once for dinner when he was touring the Old Town to inspect the Fort Jesus back in 2016,” he recalled.

“All Kenyans and tourists should visit us because many have tried us and stayed with us. All we promise is best customer service. We also do renovations year in year out to maintain our standards,” he added.