About the finger licking chicken

Kentucky Fried Chicken, better known as KFC is without a doubt one of the most sought after and popular fast food chain in the world. Here in Uganda, no one can argue the fact that chicken is the most popular meat item and the most expensive.

KFC made its debut in Uganda in 2014 and they boast at least 12 branches in Kampala and greater Kampala. Interestingly, this number represents a new branch every year, which is not bad for a relatively poor country such as ours. At any rate, we can proudly be counted among the 25,000 outlets in more than 145 countries. The brand is an integral part of the fast food industry.

History

The advent of KFC began in 1930, when a retired colonel by the name of Harland Sanders at the age of 40, bought a roadside motel in Corbin, Kentucky and began serving his southern style chicken. However, it took him almost 10 years to perfect his unique blend of 11 herbs and spices that were used to season his chicken.

Truth be told, KFC has never aspired to be fine cuisine or anything to write home about. Put another way, the chicken was coated with a batter consisting of a medley of spices including sage, basil, oregano, and pepper. The trick was deep frying it in a pressure fryer using lard, flour and buttermilk. 

 As the chicken became more popular and word of his wonderful recipe spread, he had the idea of franchising the concept in the 1950s. eventually KFC’s success in America led to the chain’s seeking expansion into international markets abroad with a great surge during the 60’s and onwards with a notable presence in China with 5,200 and growing, Japan, India, Latin America, Australia and Great Britain where it has adapted its menu to local tastes and preferences.

Over the years their menu has evolved to include a variety of items ranging from a coating of sesame and soy sauce flour sandwiches in Japan, a plant-based chicken option in Great Britain. They are testing new items in the US such as the KFC chicken sandwich.  Salads and sides, such as mashed potatoes and gravy, the double down sandwich that uses fried chicken as the bread and the Nashville Hot chicken among other items.

Here, in Uganda the rice bowl comes to mind. It goes without saying that KFC’s marketing strategy has played a pivotal role towards their success with the most iconic being ‘finger licking good’ and here in Uganda ‘tulye fenna.’ and of course the use of celebrities Reba McEntire and Reba Lowe in its commercials.

Criticism

Notwithstanding its popularity, all is not smooth sailing with the brand which has faced criticism over the years for the questionable content of its menu items.

Many health advocates have called upon the chain to come out with better health options in the form of a wider variety of salads as well as an option for grilled or baked chicken. In response, at least in America they have come up with the Kentucky Grilled Chicken and they are also offering nutritional information on their website.

While they also been berated by animal rights lovers over the treatment of chickens and its impact on the environment, I find this an unfair observation since all food vendors as well as the majority of mankind, who are non-vegetarians, stand guilty of this practice.  In response, they are making strenuous efforts to redress these issues and in the case of Uganda, they are working with Yo kuku who are the premier producers of chicken in Uganda and are unrivalled in their field. They already have in place an enlightened animal welfare and sustainable practice in its operations.

Going forward, KFC have well-laid out plans for continued growth and innovation. They are investing in technology to enhance the customer experience with such revolutionary ideas as self-order kiosks and mobile ordering. Perusing through the latest edition of the Kenyan Business Daily Africa, the respected business journal owned by the Nation Media Group, Kenya is slated to supply KFC and global restaurant chains with home grown potatoes, so says Constant Munda, a writer for the magazine.

“Kentucky Fried Chicken and other multinational restaurant chains will in coming years be barred from importing pre-sliced potatoes in a policy shift aimed at boosting local capacity of farmers to supply international eateries. Co-operatives and Small Enterprises ministry says Kenya has imported the Memphis variety of potato seedlings, which were recommended by KFC and were being piloted in leading potato growing areas. The seedlings, Co-operatives Cabinet secretary Simon Chelugui said, had been approved by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) and Agriculture ministry.”  “We have already received them, put them through processes, they have been approved and now we have introduced those seedlings to our farmers  (Nakuru),” said Chelugui in Nairobi recently.

 “We believe in future all types of potatoes in KFC (restaurants) and all other international food chains are going to be sourced from Kenya.”

Note that

Kenyans were in January 2022 alarmed to learn that American owned KFC, whose franchise in East Africa is held by Kuku Foods, imports potatoes it uses for French fries it serves in its chains, which are popular with urban middle class households. This came to fore after the KFC joints ran out of pre sliced potato imports largely from Egypt.