The popular Nyama Choma eatery, Njuguna’s, situated along Waiyaki Way, is closing down, but just for a brief period as it
undergoes a major makeover.
Local journalists visited the eatery after some online publications reported that it was finally closing its doors, putting out its grills after decades of feeding many Kenyans.
Workers at the site were busy constructing a perimeter fence as construction work commenced.
Some of the workers said the current owners of the joint want a modern structure that is bigger and appealing to the customers.
They said the current structure is being demolished as a modern one complete with space upstairs comes up.
Concerned Kenyans had taken to social media to reminisce about their visits to Njuguna’s when one Kenyan tweeted that the joint had closed down.
The eatery is a decades-old joint visited by the who’s who in Kenya. It is the brainchild of Joseph Njuguna Macharia, who died in August 2015.
Mr Njuguna established the joint in the 70s, to serve nyama chama to the community around the Kabete military camp, a neighbour of the joint.
Back in the day, Waiyaki Way was known as Salisbury Way.
Njuguna’s is said to have gained popularity among some of the prominent people in the KANU administration, thanks to its taste nyama choma that came with Ugali, Mukimo and other accompaniments.
Among those said to have been frequenting the joint were former President Uhuru Kenyatta, ODM Leader Raila Odinga, veteran broadcaster Leonard Mambo Mbotela, the late former President Mwai Kibaki and the late Hezekiah Oyugi.
Interestingly, even when plush eateries came up in the surrounding areas, Njuguna’s remained strong, with meat lovers thronging the joint to have a meal.
When he passed away, Njuguna left the management of the eatery to his children, who now want to upgrade it to match the Westlands environs and compete with leafy suburbs eateries in Nairobi, according to media reports.
