Very little is known about street foods in sub-Sahara Africa. We investigat
ed the scope of the street food phenomenon in Nairobi, both in the past and
present, with the aim of establishing circumstances surrounding its practi
ce and its function in the urban food supply. We found that street food ven
ding and consumption in Nairobi rapidly increased during the previous two d
ecades, instigated by the need for affordable food among low-income urban d
wellers and the need for employment. It is an expanding and thriving phenom
enon, especially among the urban poor, and climbs up the socio-economic lad
der due to increasing monetary demands. In addition to being a food supply
channel for the urban poor, street food vending in Nairobi provides employm
ent opportunities to a labour force that would otherwise be unemployed. The
re is need to legitimize the sector with simple regulations that make the f
ood safe but not expensive.