The men of Western Kenya, that swath of undulating land spread beneath Cherengani Hills, encompassing the counties of Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, Vihiga all the way to homes of their Luo cousins nestled around the shores of Lake Victoria, like to party.
With food in the belly, a drink in hand and rhumba or benga in the air, they love to sway gently in their favourite watering holes, faces gleaming.
But what keeps the juices flowing, and what drives them to these pubs like bees to nectar, is the Ugandan barmaid.
Soft spoken, courteous and sexy in flaming red skirts, short black dresses, and bewitching curves, they have taken the men hostage.
It is official: If you own a pub in these parts, and your waitstaff are not female, or Ugandan, your business is toast.
From Mbale town, Luanda and Majengo in Vihiga County, Busia, Bungoma County’s headquarters, Kanduyi and Bukembe townships, and Mumias, Ekero, Sabatia, Khayega and Kakamega town itself, Ugandan curves rule. Patrons love them, and so do publicans.
“Uganda women stay long at your business as compared to those from Kenya who will steal from you or clients and vanish without giving notice. Customer attraction and satisfaction is what makes a business to grow and they are good at that,” says Ogolla, who runs a nightclub in Kakamega town.
He adds that the women are so popular that if you don’t employ them, you risk losing your customers to other joints that have embraced them and that bar owners who employ them register a steep rise in sales in record time.
Koech, who runs a bar and a restaurant in Busia town says his business almost collapsed when his rival opened a pub adjacent to his and employed ten curvaceous women from Uganda.
“I used to make at least Sh300,000 as profits every month but when the new pub was opened, all my customers fled to the new joint, saying the Uganda barmaids served them with courtesy,” says Koech.
Initially, he thought it was all hot air but when his sales hit a low of Sh100,000 consistently for five months, he too sneaked across the border for help in the spirit of East African Cooperation.
With the curvaceous beauties from across the border in place, he says sales shot up within two months.