Photo :webshot. 

January 6,2022

Andrew Campbell 

KFC Kenya announced a shortage of French fries on their Twitter page on January 3. Chief Executive Officer of Kuku Foods (KFC) of Kenya, who explained that his restaurant chain was a victim of worldwide shipping line delays induced by the coronavirus pandemic. But, the fact that the company does not buy potatoes from local farmers has sparked outrage among Kenyans on social media. Local Twitter users are threatening a boycott since the company does not use potatoes grown in the area.

Burger King, for example, tweeted, "We have enough fries for everyone." KFC's competitors were quick to take advantage of the situation to highlight the availability of their fries. In response to the uproar, KFC announced on January 4 that it would begin buying potatoes from Kenyan farmers, adding that it already did so for poultry, vegetables, flour, and ice cream.

Earlier in October 2021, customers at KFC in Japan faced the same problem. KFC lovers in Japan were similarly denied the comfort food they craved when, due to a scarcity of potatoes, the fast-food chain ran out of French fries for a few days.