Kenya's love for chicken has been confirmed once again with the release of data insights from Bolt's 2022 end-of-year report. According to the data, chicken was the most ordered item on the Bolt Food platform, with over 30,000 orders placed throughout the year. Chicken was also the most ordered food by Kenyans online in 2021, solidifying it as a popular and beloved delicacy among the population.
The data also revealed that pizza, burgers, and alcohol were popular choices among Kenyans. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the number of Kenyans trying Indian and Eastern European cuisines.
The food delivery business saw a significant boost in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, as restrictions on hotel and restaurant operations were in place for months. Online food deliveries in Kenya are expected to continue increasing, with market and consumer data platform, Statista, projecting that the number of users in the meal delivery segment will reach 25.1 million by 2027, while revenue is projected to reach $377.90m (KES 46.6 billion) by 2023.
These findings are consistent with a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which estimates that at least 45 million Kenyans frequently consume chicken, with 27.6% of the total population said to eat chicken once a week.
The report also noted that about 50 million birds are slaughtered in Kenya annually, with 92.6% of the population frequently eating chicken meat. This consumption is projected to rise over the next three decades. According to Stephen Gikonyo, Animal Production and Value Chain analyst at FAO-Kenya, poultry meat and eggs consumption is projected to rise to 92,000 tons (+289%) and 245,000 tons (+211%) by 2050, respectively, The Star Kenya reported.