Boko Boko: Kilifi restaurant where presidents dine using their hands

Yolanda Firth, proprietor of the 50-year-old Boko Boko Restaurant, inspects the day's delicacies at the eatery where no cutlery is used and diners eat with their bare hands. [Robert Menza, Standard] Despite being simple structures with makuti (palm fronds) roofs that blend well with the Kenyan Coast, they have played host to dignitaries from the country and beyond over the years. It is here where former heads of state such as Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's fourth president, Uhuru Kenyatta, and former Zambian president Rupiah Banda have feasted using their bare hands. Decades later, Boko Boko Restaurant at Kamamae in Mtwapa, about 25 kilometres from Mombasa city, continues to be a haven for diners seeking an exotic Creole menu and Mijikenda cuisine. "There is no cutlery here. Diners use their hands to eat. They have become accustomed to it," proudly said the director of the restaurant, Ms Yolanda Firth. Owner and operator of the now 50-year-old eatery, Ms Firth helped come up with a meal that has become an attraction at the restaurant - porini chicken. In her office, there are pictures to prove that the former heads of state visited the place and ate using their bare hands. ''Porini chicken is steamed chicken in tamarind and can be served with either ugali or bananas. It is so popular that it was a must-feature during the anniversary dinner celebration," she said. The menu at the eatery also includes Boko Boko chicken, which is marinated in Creole spices and grilled over charcoal, fillet au poivre, steak in rich coconut sauce, and tafti creole-sea fish that is grilled after marination in garlic and onion. Other delicacies include Swahili dishes like samaki wa kupaka, beans and pigeon peas also in coconut milk. On a recent cold evening, invited guests trooped in for a special evening of fun and socialising which served to mark the 50th anniversary of the eatery located along the busy Mombasa - Malindi highway. According to Ms Firth, she had planned to hold the event when the restaurant clocked 40 years but had to wait until this year when it attained 50 years of existence. ''We wanted to celebrate @40 years but had to shelve the idea and wait for the real @50, which is a milestone in itself. We are happy that we have attained this mark and hope to continue for more years to come," Ms Firth states. Among the special guests were General (Rtd) Samson Mwathethe, Malindi Catholic Bishop Wilybard Lagho, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) chairman Mr Brown Ondego and Kilifi politician Mr Peter Shehe, among others. Lush gardens, which have grown since the inception of the eatery, give the place a cool and serene atmosphere. There are two 'senior' residents - giant tortoises sourced from the Seychelles, where Firth shares her origin. Unperturbed by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic when many businesses shut down, Ms Firth put her eight-acre parcel of land under coconut seedlings. She also raises poultry, assisted by one of her daughters, Catherine. "I ventured into this eatery business while young and now am aged. I have seen Kenyan tourism grow for the better, and there have been serious slumps occasioned by, among others, global economic downturns and post-election violence. I am optimistic that things will get better for our tourism,' she said. In a bid to remain competitive and relevant in the fast-changing hospitality sector, Ms Firth is keen to venture into outside catering or even go to people in their homes. Ondego, who lives near the restaurant, said that the place is special to him and his wife as they courted here. "I would come here when I was dating my wife. This place evokes special memories, and the food here is fresh and great," says Ondego, a former Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director. He states that the "no cutlery" eating makes him feel at home completely. She, a member of the Kilifi County Assembly who once served as Ganze MP, says she has a personal attachment to the Ms Firth family, who own the premises. "We knew each other a long time ago and have remained in constant communication. I never hesitated when I got an invite to come and celebrate Boko Boko @50. "Great ambiance and homely service here, as well as excellent and mouthwatering meals," Shehe says. The humble politician wished the management more years of prosperity.

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