Kibandas may be vilified sometimes, or exploited by the socio-political elite for their often humble aesthetics, but these lunch time lifesavers have quickly gained popularity among Nairobi residents for being a cheap and reliable source of ready to eat food. Needless to say, they are especially favoured by people who spend their days earning a living either behind a desk or as daytime casual labourers. They have quickly become a safe place for workers to refuel before the second half of the day.
So maybe you have never gathered enough courage (or coin saving sense?) to walk to the nearest kibanda. As soon as you do expect to find some of these interesting characters sharing meals or tables with you.

The Super Impatient Guy

The nature of the kibanda life is that in most cases, you pay after you eat, but despite being a frequent guest of this premise; the super impatient guy will always express his dis-satisfaction over his time being wasted. He will throw a 5 years old fit when asked to wait for the attendant to look for change or when he is asked to wait for his favorite meal to get ready. He usually wears glasses with large frames, tight formal trousers with loafers and a slim tie. If time is money was a person, then it would definitely be this guy.

The Poised Lady

She wears her glasses on the tip of her nose, her nails are always done and she wears lovely shades of lipstick like red or matte black, but there is no telling what shade she will try on tomorrow.
Her unpredictability is probably her biggest export. When she hits the kibanda, she will bring her on-toes character with her. She covers her mouth when using a toothpick. She will sit at her favorite corner and stare at her phone, probably catching up on the events of a new family group she was added to by her uncle from Kiambu -who has a chicken farm. She makes nice small talk with the cook every once in a while and even has his number so she can call and reserve her favorite rice and peas plate because supply hardly makes it past 1:30, and neither do the chapatis.

Rowdy Gang of Football Fans

Often it will be the guy from accounts and another from sales, or guys from different offices who sit separately and don't get the chance to talk much in-between the day. And this is their time. They hardly ever think they are noisy. They just shout over each other, predicting who will beat who come Saturday or Sunday or any other days football matches come on. Occasionally, the sales guy -who we will call 'Frank' - leans across the table and taps on another guy's shoulder as he makes his predictions, because god-forbid someone says Manchester United will win without some personal space violation for emphasis!

The Complainer

Right off the bat, this guy is a pain in the neck.
He is the kind who asks the attendants to change the TV channel, Or complain about the reduced servings of kachumbari or how little sugar is in the tea. There is always something that ticks this guy off. But in between his angry moments, he will start conversations with anyone as long as you can offer an ear. No limitations on topics -politics, sports, economy, the boy child- anything before his next lamentations over the layer of soot on the kitchen ceiling begin.

The Silent Kibanda Goer

He is the kind of guy who will walk through town with either of his ears covered with fancy headphones and he never talks much, only when necessary.
He probably works in finance or IT something, or he could be a marketer or coder. The point is, mans loves his crisp white shirts almost as much as he does his headphones. He knows all the cooks in this establishment by name. He has mastered the art of charm, and he plays it to his advantage. Should the establishment be out of chapos he knows the guy to talk to and a fresh batch will magically appear out of nowhere. That is the silent but valuable kibanda-goer for you!
Tag us on social media the next time you visit the local. You just might find us a new type of attendee!