CAPTION: A KFC branch in Kenya Netizens have been left in disbelief after news emerged that all local branches of American fast food restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) have run out of fries to accompany their popular chicken delicacy.
Through a social media message shared on Monday, 3rd January 2022, the business headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, blamed the sudden shortage on the busy festive season where patrons gobbled up so much junk that their stores were left without potatoes. "Mlikula sherehe with your KFC faves. Y'all loved our chips a little too much, and we've run out. Sorry! Our team is working hard to resolve the issue," they noted in the statement. More interestingly, additional separate reports revealed that despite most of its products being locally acquired, the potatoes sold across all their 22 branches in Kenya are imported from Egypt.
This fact did not seem to impress some netizens who found it difficult to understand why the multinational corporation has to acquire the raw product from abroad despite a surplus of the same right here in Kenya. "Ati KFC does not have fries, they are only selling chicken, coz their consignment of potatoes is delayed to be delivered at the port. Bwana, kumbe we are creating overseas employment and we have tons of potatoes in Kinangop?" one tweep asked. "Very embarrassing for KFC to run outta chips in Kenya when the Sonford, Altona and all its affiliates which serve thousands of Nairobians daily have never come close to running out of fries. Why do they have to import though?" another wondered. While agriculture is obviously not the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear about Egypt, the country is a major exporter of ware potatoes.
In 2018, Egypt exported over 759,200 tonnes of ware potatoes and became the 5th largest exporter , supplying potatoes primarily to Russia and the Egyptian potatoes are well-known for their good quality because they are grown in clay or sandy soil.
Customers also prefer them for their ability to last long on the shelf due to the appropriate level of solidity and sugar.
Egyptian potatoes exporting season: starts from the middle of January till the end of May.