10 places to have affordable meals in Kisumu this Njaanuary

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January is here and whether you are the strict planner or the happy go lucky kinda guy with your finances, this month has a way of showing us who is boss!

If you are as social as I am, you still need to keep appearances and buying meals here and there. Here are a few places you can have decent meals in Kisumu this January without causing much dent to your pockets.

Hangover Hotel aka Kakwacha – They are famous for their meat. I did not know about the place till 2014 but the restaurants have actually been here for much longer. There are three of them in Kisumu, one located neat Tivoli Centre, the other near Green Garden restaurant and the third one near the main Kisumu bus park. It’s a family owned budget restaurant and not a hotel as the name might suggest. Meat is their specialty but they also make quite a number of traditional cuisine. If you are a lover of meat though, try their chwaks (stewed nyama choma) with ugali and a side serving of osuga. Meals start from Ksh. 280.
Roan Restaurant – A lot of people think this place is a night club but it’s actually a restaurant that turns into a club on a couple of nights. It’s a fine dining restaurant that offers a mix of western, oriental and indigenous African cuisine. My last time there I enjoyed Kamongo (lung fish) served with ugali and some traditional veggies. The mor nyaluo topping was the hallmark of it all. The traditional food comes at very pocket friendly rates. Meals start from Ksh. 300.
Mama Colo Hotel – Located along Marine Drive (near Swan Center) in Kisumu is a beehive of activity during lunch hours. They serve the best kienyeji chicken in town. Ksh. 200 will give you an experience you will be talking about for months.
Maseno University Restaurant – Do not confuse this with Kisumu Hotel. Maseno university actually own a restaurant located just next to the Maseno University bookshop. They serve buffet lunch every week day and from Ksh. 250 you can wow your pallets.
Star dishes – located in downtown Kisumu. Known for its amazing pilau. Word has it that they make the best pilau in town. You can get amazing meals from as little as Ksh. 200.
The Lakeside City (TLC) – Located opposite Acacia Premier Hotel. Kisumu’s newest meeting point. They serve traditional cuisine and alcohol. Meals are as affordable as Ksh. 300.
Wayside – Wayside is Kisumu’s longest beer belt but apart from the cheap beer, you can indulge in some sumptuous Kuku or Nyama Choma from the various vendors. Ideal for an evening date or meet up with friends. A decent serving for an average of Ksh. 170.
Ka Dani – Located at Ahero market a little out of town. Specializes in traditional cuisine. Used to the place to have lunches on Friday afternoons – probably still is. Meals start from Ksh. 150.
Railway park – Known in some quarters as “Acacia B.” A group of women selling uji, nyoyo and mandazi at a park near the railway station. These women have been selling porridge at this same place for decades. Probably it’s the second generation of the family doing it now. If you grew up in Kisumu then you probably have a story or two to tell about this place. It deserves a whole article of its own in this blog. Meask start at Ksh. 20 – yes 20 bob!
Kwa Kimani – Located along the jua kali stretch between Mamba and Aga Khan Primary School. Specializes in Nyama choma. You can hardly find parking space by 1 PM if you went for lunch. Somehow Kisumu residents enjoy having their meals in smoky joints. Meals start from about Ksh. 200.