In Kampala, the average lifespan of a restaurant is somewhere between eight to 10 years, and once you have reached that threshold, there is a reasonable chance that going forward the sky is the limit.
That being said, in terms of local food, the handful of joints that are in that exalted club include Uhuru Restaurant, Nalongo (Katwe), 2 K Restaurant, Haj and Haj and the inimitable N P Baguma and Family where my family and I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon, which made its debut in the now defunct Shawuri Yako, back in 1991.
Shawuri Yako was the first purposely built gazetted shopping establishment for the local populace in Kampala replacing the old Nakivubo Shawuri Yako that was built in 1955 by the colonial government.
The uniqueness of the place was that they sold a myriad of products ranging from food retail and otherwise, artisan smoked fish, motor spare parts, second hand clothes and shoes, plumbing and building material etc.
Interestingly, the origin of the name Shawuri Yako is a swahili statement literally translated as ‘it is your problem.’ Should someone step on your toe while you are shopping, ‘Shawuri Yako’. Given how overcrowded the place was, you go there at you own peril, Shawuri Yako!
I started writing for The Monitor, as it was then known, around September 1992, two months after its inception, and we were the first newspaper to have an exclusive column on Food and Dining Out.
At that time, the retail food market was nowhere near what it is today. The likes of Café Javas, Cafesserie, Mediteranno, 2K Restaurant, to name just a few, were unknown. Given the scarcity of eateries during those days, I had to cast my net as wide as I could and that is how I ended up chancing upon Baguma and Family Restaurant.
What I do vividly recall about the place was that it was totally unpretentious, nuts and bolts in terms of set up and above all; that was situated in a one room lock up shop- two by two square metre area.
The furniture was relatively unsophisticated, with forms and benches for seating, but who cared? What mattered the most was the price, the consistent quality of the food along with the authenticity and quantity.
In as much as it was practically a self-regulatory organisation situation from opening to closing, it would not have been in the interest of the powers that be to make the diners too comfortable, if you get my drift.
Ten years later, the place had expanded horizontally, from the one lock up shop into several adjoining shops, creating space for at least 200 covers at any one time.
Around December 2022, after having moved several times away from Shawuri, Baguma and family moved into the prime and fashionable former D’Mellos Indian Restaurant located coterminous to the French Embassy.
The place has seen better days and offers a much larger premise including an open-air setting. There is ample parking and space for banquets and meetings and above all it is centrally located and very secure.
The boiled food remains the mainstay of the menu with the usual chicken, goat, beef and fish along with their much acclaimed steamed matooke that goes on the stove at 2am. It is always guaranteed to be as soft as butter and as yellow as ripe banana.
The kalo (millet bread) is soft, mingled to perfection and the eshabwe is made just the way your mother used to make it, silky and velvety. Come rain or shine, breakfast is ready by 7am in the morning and here the traditional prevails- katogo, amakamo, tea, coffee and juice.
In keeping with the times and making sure that the youngsters and millennials are catered for, they have pizzas, fried chicken and chips, which is a good point for family outings. Speaking of which, Sundays are great family days and the children will feel catered for and welcome.
Place: N P Baguma & Family Restaurant
Address: Kisozi Complex, 6 Nakasero Lane, Kampala.
Smoke-Free Zone: Strictly not allowed
DRecommended items: Boiled goat ribs with offals
Service: They care
Ambience: Cool
Open: Seven days a week untill late
Menu: Boiled goat meat with offals, boiled chicken, fresh fish, fresh peas, morokoni, smoked fish and ground nut sauce matooke, fried chicken and chips, pizzas, fried fish filets sweet potatoes, pumpkin, rice, yams, dodo, and nakati
The Crowd: Well to do Ugandan workers both young and old though in the main this is not the type of food that appeals to expats and non-Ugandan
The Bar: Soda, beer, juice and mineral water
The damage: Reasonable and cheap. A couple will part with Shs50,000 for a meal plus a large glass of juice.
Sound level: OK
Rating: Not to be missed
Parking: Available and very secure
If you go: They are open every day
RATINGS: Not to be missed, worth a visit, OK/so so, don’t waste your time.
